Biomedical subjects

B C Leigh

Publications and source records attributed to B C Leigh.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

A web-based program for coding open-ended response protocols.

A Web-based coding application was designed to improve coding efficiency and to provide a systematic means of evaluating responses to open-ended assessments. The system was developed for use by multiple raters to assign open-ended responses to predetermined categories. The application provides a software environment for efficiently supervising the work of coders and evaluating the quality of the coding by (1) systematically presenting open-ended responses to coders, (2) tracking each coder's categorized responses, and (3) assessing interrater consistency at any time in order to identify coders in need of further training. In addition, the application can be set to automatically assign repeated responses to categories previously identified as appropriate for those responses. To evaluate the efficacy of the coding application and to determine the statistical reliability of coding open-ended data within this application, we examined data from two empirical studies. The results demonstrated substantial interrater agreement on items assigned to various categories across free and controlled association tasks. Overall, this new coding application provides a feasible method of reliably coding open-ended data and makes the task of coding these data more manageable.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Using daily reports to measure drinking and drinking patterns.

Daily measurements of drinking are used to measure alcohol consumption, validate retrospective questionnaires, and examine associations between drinking and other behaviors. The advantages of using daily reports include reducing retrospective biases and forgetting of drinking occasions; disadvantages include increased costs and potential for reactivity. Methodological issues to consider in using daily reports include reporting method (written, telephone, electronic), reporting interval, data collection period, respondent attrition, and missing data. Compared to retrospective reports, daily reports result in more reported drinking occasions but similar average quantity consumed, and correlations between retrospective and daily measures are generally high. The utility of daily reports depends on the research question and the purpose of the measurements.

Alcohol Drinking↗

PubMed1999

Peril, chance, adventure: concepts of risk, alcohol use and risky behavior in young adults.

This paper discusses issues in applying concepts of "risk" to alcohol use. There is a wide variety of definitions of "risk," including dimensions of positive vs. negative aspects of risk-taking, short-term vs. long-term harm, generality vs. specificity of risk behaviors, knowledge of probability of harm, and objective vs. subjective risk. Alcohol can play a role in risky behavior on multiple levels. The paper describes the methods used to examine a link between alcohol and risk-taking (population-based, person-based, event-based and experimental methods) and illustrates these methods from research findings on the association of alcohol to risky driving, crime and violent behavior, and sexual risk-taking. Theoretical models of the association of alcohol and risk-taking are outlined, and the implications of these models for alcohol policy and prevention are discussed.

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMed1998

Comparison of diary and retrospective measures for recording alcohol consumption and sexual activity.

This study examines issues in the measurement of HIV risk factors, using daily diaries to collect data on both alcohol use and sexual behavior. Seventy-nine adolescents and young adults recruited from an STD clinic and from a university campus were studied. Participants gave daily reports of their drinking, drug use, and sexual activities for 4 weeks. Respondents then completed a retrospective questionnaire asking about the frequencies of these behaviors during the preceding period. Diary reports of behavior were strongly correlated with retrospective reports. More frequent drinking was reported on the diary measure than the retrospective measure, and this discrepancy was larger for more frequent drinkers. Frequency of sexual activity was overreported on the retrospective measure only among adolescents. Errors in the measurement of alcohol use, sexual behavior, or their co-occurrence could affect estimations of the relationship of alcohol use to sexual behavior. The types of error inherent in these measures may differ, resulting in different tendencies toward over- or underreporting of alcohol use and sexual behavior, depending on frequency of the behavior and the characteristics of the subject population.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Two-year longitudinal study of alcohol expectancies and drinking among Norwegian adolescents.

AIMS: The potential importance of alcohol outcome expectancies in the initiation and maintenance of drinking has been supported by studies showing that these expectancies are present before drinking begins, and that they predict drinking both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Although initiation of drinking behavior may be influenced by expectancy, subsequent drinking experience may modify expectations. We used structural modeling techniques to investigate the relative influence of expectancy and drinking in a three-wave longitudinal study of Norwegian adolescents. DESIGN: Survey incorporating self-administered questionnaires. SETTING: Twenty-two schools in Hordaland County on the west coast of Norway. PARTICIPANTS: Nine hundred and twenty-four seventh-grade students; 45.7% female. MEASUREMENTS: Alcohol use (frequency, quantity, drunkenness); the Norwegian version of the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire for adolescents. FINDINGS: Among students who were already drinkers upon entry into the study, expectations of positive social effects of alcohol predicted drinking longitudinally. Among those who began drinking during the study, these social expectancies predicted drinking initiation, but drinking also influenced subsequent expectancy in the early stages of drinking. CONCLUSIONS: These results support a reciprocal relationship of drinking to positive expectancy, highlighting the importance both of expectancies on influencing drinking, and of early drinking experiences on the development of positive expectancies.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Automatic activation of alcohol concepts in response to positive outcomes of alcohol use.

Seventy-one subjects with various levels of drinking experience completed a computerized semantic priming task. Prime phrases (describing positive outcomes of drinking alcohol or neutral phrases) were presented immediately before a target word (either alcohol-related or not). The results replicated earlier basic research examining the effects of semantically related primes on the processing of subsequent words. Furthermore, the results provided evidence that, for heavy drinking subjects, the presentation of phrases describing positive drinking outcomes significantly primed, or facilitated, responses to the alcohol-related words. These results are consistent with the view that for some individuals, thoughts about certain outcomes automatically prime, or make accessible, concepts related to alcohol use. An increase in the accessibility of these concepts has important implications for behavioral decisions about alcohol consumption.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Alcohol use and contraception in first sexual experiences.

Recent research has suggested that the use of alcohol or drugs in conjunction with sexual intercourse is associated with nonuse of contraception, particularly in first intercourse experiences. This paper reports findings from a nationally representative sample of adolescents and young adults aged 18-30 who were asked a number of questions about the circumstances and characteristics of the first time they had intercourse. Results showed that drinking at the time of first intercourse was more prevalent among those who first had sex prior to 1985; moreover, members of this cohort were less likely to use condoms or other forms of birth control at the time of first intercourse. Drinking was associated with nonuse of contraception only among those who had their first sexual experience prior to 1985. The results are discussed in terms of historical changes in the sexual climate of the AIDS era.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1995

The relationship of substance use with sex to the use of condoms among young adults in two urban areas of Scotland.

The relationship of the use of alcohol or drugs in conjunction with sexual activity and the use of condoms and other contraceptives was examined among 1378 respondents in a household survey of two urban areas of Scotland. In bivariate analyses, respondents who reported having had sex under the influence of alcohol or drugs were no less likely than respondents with no such experience to report consistent use of condoms, and having had sex under the influence of substances was positively related to lifetime condom use. Multivariate analyses that included gender and urban area as predictors yielded similar findings. The results suggest that individuals who combine sex with alcohol or drugs are not necessarily more likely to engage in riskier sex.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

The relationship of alcohol use to sexual activity in a U.S. national sample.

Recent reports have indicated that the use of alcohol is related to sexual behavior (such as unprotected intercourse) that is high-risk for HIV infection. However, most of these studies have collected data from convenience samples, using measures of varying specificity. This paper describes a study designed to investigate the relationship of alcohol use to unsafe sexual activity in a representative sample of adults. Data were collected from 2058 respondents as part of a survey of a multi-stage area probability sample of the adult household population of the 48 contiguous United States. The interview instrument included measures of alcohol use, sexual activity and condom use. Logistic regression analyses showed that heavier drinkers were more likely to be sexually active, and if sexually active, were more likely to have had more than one sexual partner in the previous year. However, drinking variables were in general not significantly related to condom use. These results suggest that alcohol use may be more strongly related to lifestyle variables (general sexual activity and number of sexual partners) than to more concrete behavioral variables such as condom use. Because these data are correlational, the findings are also consistent with the notion of a general constellation of risk-taking or sensation-seeking activities that includes alcohol use and sexual activity.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1994

Sexual behavior of American adolescents: results from a U.S. national survey.

PURPOSE: This paper reports on data from a 1990 U.S. national survey of the sexual behavior of male and female adolescents aged 12-17. METHODS: A household survey using a multi-stage area probability sample of the United States was undertaken in 1990. Adolescents were interviewed about sexual history, contraceptive use, and motivations, attitudes, and expectations with regard to sexual behavior and risk. RESULTS: The majority of 17-year-olds and about half of 16-year-olds, both male and female, had initiated sexual activity, with males initiating at younger ages than females. Sexual activity was episodic; only half of sexually experienced adolescents reported having sex in the month prior to the interview. Many sexually active respondents expressed less desire to have sex than confidence that they would have sex. Over half of respondents reported using a condom at most recent intercourse, with boys being more likely than girls to report condom use. Condom use at last intercourse was unrelated to perceptions of risk and concern about AIDS. CONCLUSIONS: Given the importance of some of the undesirable consequences of sexual activity in adolescents, such as AIDS and unwanted pregnancy, accurate and up-to-date information on sexual behavior of this age group is crucially important. The results of this study underscore the need for in-depth, population-based research on adolescent sexual behavior.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1993

Substance use and risky sexual behavior for exposure to HIV. Issues in methodology, interpretation, and prevention.

Recent reports have suggested that the use of alcohol or drugs is related to sexual behavior that is high risk for HIV infection. If substance use leads to unsafe sexual activity, understanding the dynamics of this relationship can contribute to research and preventive and educational efforts to contain the spread of AIDS. In this article, we review research on the relationship between substance use and high-risk sexual behavior. We then consider the inherent limitations of the research designs used to study this relationship, outline some methodological concerns including measurement and sampling issues, and comment on causal interpretations of correlational research findings. We end with a consideration of potential avenues for future research and a discussion of implications of these findings for current AIDS prevention policies.

Alcoholism↗

PubMed1993

Alcohol consumption and sexual activity as reported with a diary technique.

Although alcohol is commonly viewed as a sexual disinhibitor, recent research has suggested that alcohol consumption does not consistently lead to increased sexual activity. Nonexperimental work in this area has commonly used correlational procedures that do not control for individual difference variables that may contribute to a drinking-sex relationship. This study examined the relationship of alcohol consumption to sexual behavior by way of within-subjects analyses of data from 99 men and women who kept daily diaries of drinking and sexual events over a 10-week period. Alcohol consumption was associated with a general attenuation of sexual activity, with no effects on the occurrence of sexual behaviors that are risky in terms of AIDS transmission. These data suggest that sexual distribution and lapses in sexual judgment are not necessarily common consequences of alcohol consumption.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

The sexual behavior of US adults: results from a national survey.

OBJECTIVES: One consequence of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic has been to highlight the need for population-based estimates of the number of individuals engaging in sexual behaviors that place them at risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. This paper describes the prevalence of various sexual behaviors in a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States. METHODS: Data were collected as part of a household probability survey of adults (n = 2058) in the United States. Data collected on sexual behavior included sexual orientation, frequency of intercourse, condom use, and number of sexual partners. RESULTS: Nearly all respondents were sexually experienced. Of those who were currently sexually active, 13% (1% of married respondents) had had sex with more than one partner in the previous year. Of those reporting having intercourse with more than one partner in the previous year, 7% used condoms consistently and 23% used condoms consistently with their casual partners. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of individuals were found to have intercourse with multiple partners without using condoms. A minority of these respondents acknowledged that their behavior may place them at risk for HIV transmission.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1993

Unsafe sexual behavior and alcohol use at the event level: results of a national survey.

In recent years, several researchers have suggested that the use of alcohol in conjunction with sexual activity significantly increases the probability that unsafe or risky sexual behavior will occur. However, the majority of studies examining this relationship have utilized general measures of drinking frequency and sexual behavior, and are therefore unable to establish whether the drinking and risky sex occur on the same occasion. In this study, adult respondents in a national survey were asked about the circumstances of two sexual encounters: their most recent sexual experience and their most recent encounter involving a new sexual partner. The characteristics of encounters that involved and did not involve drinking are described. The results showed that although encounters with new partners were more likely to involve alcohol, the presence of alcohol in the event was not significantly associated with risky sexual activity. The occurrence of risky sexual behavior was predicted by a number of individual and situational variables, including sexual attitudes, drinking habits, and personality characteristics. These findings suggest that the relationship between drinking and risky sex is the result of a complex interaction among personality, situational, and behavioral factors.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Self-control concerns and drinking loss of control in general and clinical populations.

In popular conceptions, loss of control over drinking involves a double loss of control, over one's life as well as over one's drinking. A measure of "control worries," concerning the experience of difficulties in controlling one's life, was developed. The relationships between measures of control worries, loss of control over drinking and heavy-drinking behavior were examined in samples both of alcohol treatment clients and of the general population in a California county. Alcohol treatment clients reported greater control worries and loss of control over drinking than members of the general population. Although control worries were only slightly correlated with drinking loss of control, this relationship tended to be conditional in the general population. The findings suggest that concerns about personal control in general may be a useful construct to consider in conjunction with the drinking loss of control concept.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

On the scope of alcohol expectancy research: remaining issues of measurement and meaning.

An article by Leigh (1989d) examined certain substantive and measurement-related limitations of research on alcohol outcome expectancies. Leigh (1989d) criticized research in this field on both conceptual and methodological grounds and speculated on future theoretical directions for research in the field. In their response, Goldman, Brown, Christiansen, and Smith (1991) contended that Leigh's critique is faulty in important respects. However, some of their points are based on misinterpretations of Leigh's comments, and they appear to have insufficient appreciation of conditions necessary for comprehensive measurement validation and for meaningful application of theories of memory to alcohol expectancy research. Despite the limitations of expectancy research, exciting avenues exist for further work.

Alcohol Drinking↗

PubMed1991

For better or worse: attributions about drunken aggression toward male and female victims.

Research on attributions about drunken violence has suggested that intoxication serves to decrease responsibility attributed to aggressors while increasing responsibility attributed to victims. In this study, we used a scenario depicting a violent interaction in which intoxication of aggressor and victim and victim sex were varied. Subjects made attributions of blame, causality, responsibility, and normative judgements about aggressor and victim. In general, drunkenness made things worse for the intoxicated person in terms of observers' judgments: A drunken aggressor was blamed more than a sober aggressor, an intoxicated victim--whether male or female--was blamed more than a sober victim, and aggression toward a drunken victim was rated as more acceptable than aggression toward a sober victim. Results are discussed in terms of the use of alcohol intoxication as a gender-independent cue to blame the victim, and the increasing societal disapproval of drunkenness.

Aggression↗

PubMed1991

Alcohol consumption and unsafe sex: a comparison of heterosexuals and homosexual men.

Recent studies have suggested that drinking in conjunction with sexual activity is related to unsafe sexual activities known to increase the risk of AIDS transmission. However, these studies have used general measures of frequency of both drinking and sexual behavior, giving insufficient information to establish that drinking and risky sex occur in the same sexual encounters. This article presents data from a mail survey of the adult population of San Francisco in which respondents were queried about the circumstances of specific sexual encounters that took place in conjunction with alcohol consumption. The results showed that subjective intoxication was related to practice of unsafe sex among homosexual men and heterosexual women but not among heterosexual men. In addition, respondents whose sexual partners were met in locations construed as "pickup" environments were more likely to practice safe sex. A focus on specific sexual events can contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of sexual encounters and of the predictors of risky sex in these encounters.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗