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Abstract: Alcohol attitudes are often considered an important predecessor of drinking behavior, although the literature is equivocal. Lately, attention has turned to enhancing positive cognitions on alcoholic-free drinks to discourage heavy drinking. The current study was the first to longitudinally examine associations between attitudes towards binge drinking and alcohol-free drinks and binge drinking behavior in a cross-lagged path model in Mplus. Participants were 293 adolescents (131 boys, Mage =16.1years) who filled in two online questionnaires with a six-month interval. Binge drinking behavior and attitudes towards binge drinking and alcohol-free drinks were all significantly correlated at both waves. The multivariate model, however, showed that only higher levels of binge drinking at T1 were prospectively related to more positive binge drinking attitudes at T2, and not vice versa. Analyses were controlled for sex, educational level, and age. Findings discard the Theory of Planned Behavior, but rather seem consistent with the Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, i.e., adolescents may adapt their cognitions to their behavior. More longitudinal research with several time points and over a longer period of time is needed to further examine the development of attitudes and drinking behavior. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aims: The main aim of the study was to test the moderating effect of two genetic polymorphisms, one in the dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2) and one in the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1), on the link between parental rule-setting and adolescent alcohol use. Methods: A total of 214 adolescents (Mage =13.7, 44.9% male) provided saliva samples and completed survey items describing alcohol use and parental rule-setting. Results: Findings indicated that alcohol-specific parental rule-setting was more robustly associated with alcohol use for adolescents with the DRD2 A1 risk allele and for those with the OPRM1 G-allele. Conclusion: This study replicates the interaction between parental rule-setting and the DRD2 risk allele on adolescent alcohol use and extends the literature by demonstrating the moderating effects of the OPRM1 risk allele on the link between parental rule-setting and adolescent alcohol use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The influence of friends and peers is theoretically one of the most consistent and important factors explaining adolescent alcohol use. However, not all adolescents are equally likely to be influenced by their friends' drinking behaviors. Genetic factors may underlie these inter-individual differences in susceptibility to the drinking behavior of friends. Because the long allele (≥ 7 repeats) of the dopamine D4 receptor ( DRD4) gene has been associated with susceptibility to alcohol and alcohol-related cues, we tested whether associations between best friend's and adolescent's alcohol use differed for DRD4 genotypes. A Dutch nationwide sample of 308 adolescents (age 13 at baseline) participated in a prospective, community-based study with five annual waves. A cross-lagged path analysis was carried out in Mplus to examine bi-directional relations between friends' and adolescents' weekly alcohol use (number of drinks). A multi-group approach was applied to test for moderation effects of a 48-base pair variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism in exon 3 of the DRD4 gene. Additionally, with latent growth curve models, it was examined whether the interaction between friends' drinking and DRD4 genotype predicted the development of adolescents' alcohol use. Results showed that both cross-sectionally and longitudinally higher levels of friends' alcohol use resulted in higher levels of adolescents' alcohol consumption over time (and vice versa). No significant moderation of DRD4 genotype was found: Associations between adolescents' and friends' drinking did not differ for adolescent carriers of the DRD4 long allele, when compared with adolescents without the DRD4 long allele. Because this is the first study to examine DRD4 × friends' drinking effects prospectively, replication is essential. Future longitudinal studies, possibly with observational or diary designs, are needed to increase our understanding of the interplay between genetic and environmental risk factors for adolescent alcohol use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drinking to cope (i.e., drinking to forget or alleviate negative feelings) has been found to be associated with adolescents' heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems. Additionally, it is widely accepted that genetic factors are involved in alcohol use and dependence. Studies are only beginning to reveal, however, which specific genotypes are related to drinking behaviors, and it is unknown whether they may interact with coping motives in predicting adolescents' risky drinking. The aim of this study was to examine relationships between the dopamine D2 receptor gene ( DRD2) Taq1A polymorphism (rs1800497), a serotonin transporter gene ( SLC6A4) polymorphism (5-HTTLPR), coping motives, and adolescents' binge drinking and alcohol-related problems. Participants in this cross-sectional study were 282 Dutch adolescents (mean age 17.4, 47% men) who had consumed alcohol at least once in their life. Coping motives were positively related to both binge drinking and alcohol-related problems, while DRD2 and SLC6A4 genotypes were not. DRD2, but not the SLC6A4 genotype, interacted with coping motives. The link between coping motives and alcohol outcomes was stronger among those carrying the DRD2 risk (A1) allele. This study extends the present literature by providing additional insight into the etiological factors of adolescent drinking behavior. An interaction between a vulnerability gene ( DRD2) and a cognitive factor (coping drinking) was found to be related to adolescents' binge drinking and alcohol-related problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Because the effects of susceptibility genes on alcohol use may differ as a function of age throughout adolescence and young adulthood, prospective study designs, in addition to cross-sectional ones are needed in genetic association studies. The short, low activity allele of a polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) has been related to alcohol dependence. In the current study we tested whether 5-HTTLPR genotype was associated with adolescent alcohol use both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Methods: Non-regular drinkers (n =202) were selected from Dutch, nationwide sample of adolescents (mean age 13.4 at baseline) who were assessed across five annual waves. Latent growth curve modeling was applied to examine individual development of alcohol use over time, by estimating the initial level of alcohol use at Wave 2 (intercept), and the rate of change in alcohol use across time (slope). Results: The 5-HTTLPR short allele predicted adolescent''s growth (slope) in alcohol use over time. Adolescents with the 5-HTTLPR short allele showed larger increase in alcohol consumption than those without the 5-HTTLPR short allele. 5-HTTLPR genotype was not related to the initial level (intercept) of alcohol consumption. In all analyses we controlled for sex and personality. Conclusions: To gain more insight into the etiological role of genetic determinants of adolescent alcohol use, developmental approaches that distinguish between onset and continuation of drinking should be applied. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Eating in response to distress – i.e. emotional eating – is highly prevalent in (female) adults with binge eating, but has only a very low prevalence in young children. The present study addresses the emergence of emotional eating in adolescence in relation to depressive feelings. Because a reduction of food intake is considered the biologically natural response to distress, we tested whether the a-typical stress-response of emotional eating develops in interaction with genetic vulnerability. We hypothesized that the short allele of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene, which is associated with lower serotonin activity, would moderate the relation between depressive feelings and the increase in emotional eating, particularly in females. A sample of Dutch families with two adolescents was included in a longitudinal study with a four-year follow-up. A moderator effect of 5-HTTLPR genotype on the relation between depressive feelings and the increase in emotional eating was found in both sexes in the youngest siblings (n = 286). In the older siblings (n = 298), this specific moderator effect was only found in the girls. Younger adolescents and older adolescent girls showed a higher increase in emotional eating if they carried the 5-HTTLPR short allele. This is the first study that found support for a gene × depressive feelings interaction on emergence of emotional eating in (female) adolescents [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present study addresses the emergence of emotional eating in adolescence in relation to maternal or paternal psychological control. A reduction of food intake is considered the biological natural response to distress, therefore we tested whether the a-typical stress response of emotional eating develops in interaction with genetic vulnerability. Carrying the A1 allele of the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene Taq1A polymorphism (rs1800497) is associated with reduced dopamine D2 receptor availability in the brain. We hypothesized that carrying this allele would confer risk for the development of emotional eating, particularly so in adolescents with adverse rearing experiences. Participants were 279 Dutch adolescents (average age of 13.4) that participated in a prospective study with a four-year follow-up. We found a moderator effect of DRD2 genotype on the relation between both maternal and paternal psychological control and increases in emotional eating in both sexes. Adolescents showed only an increase in emotional eating in relation to high psychological control if they carried at least one DRD2 A1 allele. This study is the first to show that the relationship between adverse rearing experiences and emotional eating might be dependent on genetic make-up. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]