Significant at p < 0.001*; significant at p < 0.05**. The context of alcohol consumption, social connectedness and social identity is a pertinent issue for both the university and health practitioners [65] . Higher scores reflect a higher level of social connectedness[47] . Johanna B. This review studies technology-supported interventions to help older adults, living in situations of reduced mobility, overcome loneliness, and social isolation. Binary logistic regression was used to test for association between independent variables and the dependent variable of low risk or hazardous drinking (AUDIT). The majority of the sample did not participate in university sports (82.0% n = 1548), university clubs (76.4% n = 1441), community sports (65.7% n = 1239) or community clubs (68.2%, n = 1287). This study was supported by Healthway (the Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation) project number 30104. A moderately significant association between lower levels of social identity and hazardous levels of alcohol consumption was found when all factors were considered. Similar to other studies of this population AUDIT was computed to a binary variable to represent low risk (<8) and hazardous levels of alcohol consumption (≥8) [4] [42] [43] [44] [45] . ethnicity, class standing, and where they live) and the revised Social Connectedness Scale (SCS-R). A 2007 intervention undertaken at the same university found similar results with males and Australian and New Zealand residents having significantly increased odds of reporting hazardous AUDIT scores compared to females and international students [4] . When all factors were considered: gender, living arrangements, being a domestic student, hours spent at work, participation in university and community sport, higher levels of psychological distress, higher levels of social connectedness, and lower levels of social identity were significant predictors of hazardous alcohol consumption. Highly and moderately significant differences were measured at p < 0.001 and p < 0.05 respectively. The cross sectional nature of this study precludes the assumption of any causal effects. Copyright © 2020 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. As a society, we may come out ahead in the end of this epidemic, if, instead of social distancing, we instead pursue physical distancing with social connectedness. Students who reported higher levels of psychological distress, were 1.1 times more likely to consume alcohol at hazardous levels (OR 1.052; CI 1.008 - 1.033) while students who were more socially connected were 1.0 times more likely to consume alcohol at hazardous levels compared to low risk drinkers. Students who reported hazardous drinking reported: higher levels of social connectedness (M 39.09; SD 9.87); higher levels of psychological distress (M16.22; SD5.41); and higher social identity scores, indicating a low level of social identity (M6.92; SD2.13) (Table 2). Adolescents [4] , university students [58] and young adults who participate in organized sports, especially team sports [57] [58] are more likely to drink alcohol at more hazardous levels than their non-sporting peers. Social connectedness refers to the relationships an individual has with others [22] , and can include relationships developed at home, school, work, special interest groups and within sporting groups. This paper compares key factors for low risk and hazardous drinkers from a random cross sectional sample of 18 - 25 years old Western Australian university students. Higher scores reflect a higher level of social connectedness [47] . The study aims to explore the association between levels of alcohol consumption, mental health, social connectedness and social identity among university students. Over half of the sample (61.9%, n = 1208) reported no or low levels of psychological distress; 28.5%. Univariate and bivariate analysis was conducted. For analysis responses were collapsed into three categories (None, 1 - 10hours and 11 - 20+). I like the direct way that this one item scale attached measures social connectedness directly and visually. Similarly, a study focusing on US and Canadian students (n = 71,860; n = 107 Institutions) found alcohol was one of the top ten factors affecting student’s mental health and academic performance [55] . This study was approved by the Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee (HR 54/2013). Approximately ninety percent of the sample classified themselves as Australian (n = 1709, 90.6%) and 178 (9.4%) identified as international students. Students were excluded from completing the face-to-face survey if they had completed the online survey. The final questionnaire was tested for content and face validity [48] with an expert panel of health promotion and alcohol prevention experts (n = 7) and a purposive sample of the target group (n = 60). (2006). Males (42.5%) were more likely to participate in hazardous drinking compared to females (35.2%). Higher psychological distress scores refers to higher levels of distress, depression/and or anxiety;3. Items were reverse-scored. Students were asked how many hours they spent in paid work, attending university classes and doing personal study each week. Students who reported no personal study per week were more likely to report hazardous drinking (54.8%) (Table 1). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS v20. The social identity scale uses a Social Connectedness Scale. Statistical significance and proportions were compared for categorical variables using Chi-Square analyses. Previously validated and reliable scales were included in the questionnaire. In Australia, males [4] and domestic students have been reported to be most at risk of consuming alcohol at harmful levels [4] [13] . reliability of the responses to the scale items. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate means and statistical differences for continuous variables. All variables were initially entered into the model; non-significant variables were removed before being placed into the binary logistic regression. The scale comprised of 20 items using a 6-point Likert-type scale in which response format is from 1=strongly disagree to 6=strongly agree. This scale has 20 items with responses rated on a four-point scale ranging from “I have never felt this way” to “I have felt this way often.” This study found that high levels of social connectedness predicted hazardous alcohol consumption. In the study of adaptation of the scale to Turkish, Göregenli (2003) found the reliability of the responses to the scale items as 0.69. While positive associations between school connectedness and mental health have been found [59] social connectedness may increase some risky behaviors [60] . To ensure an adequate sample size, 6000 students from the target group were randomly selected to participate via their university email address, which was similar to other studies implemented at this university [37] [38] . Social Connectedness Scale. Mashek, D., Stuewig, J., Furukawa, E., & Tangney, J. “During the social interactions, I felt “in tune” with the person/s around me” and “During the social interactions, I felt close to the person/s,” using a 7-point scale (1 = not at all true, 7 = very true). Consistent with these findings, social identity, which refers to how someone identifies with the people and groups around them, at what level they feel they belong to that group and what value or importance they place on that group [34] has been identified as a predictor of intentions to binge drink, especially for those who strongly identify with the group [35] . An Academic Publisher, Is There an Association between Social Connectedness, Social Identity, Alcohol Consumption and Mental Health among Young University Students? The scale was developed based on the theory of self-psychology and measures feelings of belongingness. 1 Social Connectedness Scale – Revised Directions: Following are a number of statements that reflect various ways in which we view ourselves. Coefficient alpha = .95. Socially disconnected and lonely individuals tend to suffer higher rates of morbidity and mortality (Taylor, Repetti, & Seeman, 1997; Thoits, 1995) as well as infection (Cohen, Doyle, Skoner, Rabin, & Gwaltney, 1997; Pressman et al., 2005), depression (Heikkinen & Kauppinen, 2004), and cognitive decl… The 10 item AUDIT, which provides a measure of alcohol consumption, alcohol dependence and alcohol related problems (Scores: 0 - 40) [39] was used to measure level of drinking. This study was interested in exploring the association between connectedness, social identify and alcohol consumption. UCLA Loneliness Scale The remainder lived alone (n = 46; 2%), boarded (n = 21; 0.8%) and had other arrangements, which consisted of living with siblings or home-stays (n = 33; 1.4%). These scales were designed to gain insight on how students use social media as a means of social interaction, and to get a stronger sense of how connected students feel to UBC. Predictors of low and hazardous drinking using univariate analysis (categorical variables). Online data were collected from a random sample of university undergraduate students (n = 2506) aged 18 - 24 years old. Social Connectedness. While peer connections can promote positive social, emotional and behavioral attributes they also have the capacity to influence negative behaviors [64] . Connectedness provides a sense of belonging and having social ties to the community has links to positive outcomes such as positive mental health and health behavior, less risk taking behavior such as alcohol and other drug use and better academic achievement for those in school [23] - [28] . This scale consists of 16 items about information would be given out to the other. An additional 681 students completed the survey through intercept interviews. Table 2. As well as consuming alcohol at high levels, university students commonly present with mental health problems such as stress, anxiety and depression [4] [15] [16] . Social connectedness: The Social Connectedness Scale [20], an 8-item measure scored on a 6-point Likert scale, indexed social connectedness. The university setting offers many opportunities for students to become connected with others [22] . The initial email coincided with the release of semester one results. Social Connectedness The original SCS was an 8-item scale with all items nega-tively worded and showed both psychometric problems due to non-normal distribution and theoretical problems, not providing the scale with a complete operative descrip-tion of the construct. Studies have shown that international students tend to socialize with people whose cultural backgrounds are similar to their own [53] [54] . Effect of predictors on hazardous compared to low risk drinking. A scale called the Personal Acquaintance Measurehas been developed to help a person measure their connectedness with another individual. Copyright © 2006-2021 Scientific Research Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved. When all factors were considered (Table 3) gender (p < 0.001), students’ living arrangements (p < 0.001), international student status (p < 0.001), hours spent at work (p < 0.001), participation in community sport (p < 0.001), the psychological distress (p < 0.001), and social connectedness (p = 0.001) were significant predictors of hazardous drinking, while participation in university sport (p < 0.05) was a moderately significant predictor of hazardous drinking. Of the 90.6% of domestic students who completed the AUDIT questions, 40.7% were classified as hazardous drinkers. Adolescent connectedness to community, volunteer and religious groups was found to be protective of harmful alcohol consumption while those who were connected to sports clubs were more likely to consume alcohol at higher levels [4] . Similar to other studies, males in this study were more likely to report hazardous drinking than females (males 42.5% vs females 35.2%) [4] and when all predictors were considered gender was a significant factor in hazardous alcohol consumption. Nine independent raters assessed appropriateness of items, with two items deleted resulting in 74 items. These findings are consistent with previous research that highlights male and domestic students are at risk for hazardous consumption of alcohol [4] . Given Facebook’s scale (over 2 billion active users globally and 236 mil… The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) measures the level of an individual’s distress, based on a five level response scale (Scores 10 to 50). This outcome is contradictory of a 2010 study that found greater earnings did not promote drinking, however the study did acknowledge that greater earnings could provide students with more money to spend on leisure activities, such as drinking [52] . The university setting provides a unique environment for students to become involved in clubs and groups while forming strong social bonds with others [7] [36] . Previous research has identified social isolation as a risk factor for physical and mental health problems (e.g., Berkman, 1995; Cacioppo & Hawkley, 2003; Cacioppo, Hughes, Waite, Hawkley, & Thisted, 2006; House, 2001). Rate the degree to which you agree or disagree with each statement using the following scale (1 = Strongly Disagree and 6 = Strongly Agree). Items on the Social Connectedness Scale reflect feelings of emotional distance between the self and others, and higher scores reflect more social connectedness. Australian domestic students were approximately 5.8 times more likely to report hazardous drinking than international students. Negative schizotypy was significantly related to social connectedness. Responses were received from 1825 students (30.4% response rate). Furthermore university students have been found to report higher levels of alcohol consumption than their non-student peers [5] . The literature regarding social connectedness as a protective factor for health behaviors is not conclusive. The higher the score the higher the level of distress. Social connectedness has been identified as a protective factor for a range of health issues however the literature is not conclusive. Social Connectedness Scale-Revised (SCS-R). The focus is on long-distance interactions, investigating the (i) challenges addressed and strategies applied; (ii) technology used in interventions; and (iii) social interactions enabled. The majority of students had consumed alcohol in the last 12 months (87%). This measure, which can be shared with other academic researchers, is called the Social Connectedness Index (SCI), and is based on anonymised data on the number of friendship links on Facebook, the world’s largest online social networking service. Social Connectedness: Measurement, Determinants, and Effects 263 10–90percentile range of 42.5 to 67.4 percent; and over 70 percent of friends live within 200 … 8 for social connectedness; 8 for social assurance Scale 6 point Likert scale Data collection format Self report Scoring key The items are added up for a total score – a higher score indicates more connectedness to others. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. This negative-worded 8-item measure, rated on a 6-point Likert scale, assesses how much a per-son feels they belong in social situations (Lee & Robbins, 1995). The majority of respondents were female (62.1% n = 1504), followed by male, 37.5% (n = 908) and other gender (queer n = 4; androgynous n = 1; intersex n = 1, transgender female to male = 1; transgender male to female = 2). There was a similar representation of younger (18 - 20 years; 49.9%) and older students (21 - 24 years; 50.1%). 379 0 obj <> endobj There has been extensive research conducted with university students, examining the prevalence of alcohol consumption, their drinking motives and expectations and negative and positive outcomes from alcohol consumption, however there is less known about how being “connected” to community and others may influence alcohol consumption and how this association impacts mental health. Students who participated in university and community sport were approximately 1.4 and 1.6 times more likely to be hazardous drinkers respectively. Commonly reported motivators for drinking among students can be categorized as social [8] , coping [9] and conformity motives [6] [10] . The social connectedness scale includes eight items consisting of a six level rating system (1 = agree to 6 = disagree); measuring connectedness (4 items), companionship (3 items) and affiliation (1 item). In addition, this study confirms an association between mental health problems and levels of alcohol consumption and informs the need for the inclusion of mental health strategies on campus. Background . Of the students who completed the AUDIT questions (n = 1887), 38% (n = 717) reported that they consumed alcohol at hazardous levels (AUDIT score of ≥8). Students who participated in 11 - 20+ hours of paid employment were more likely to report hazardous drinking (43.3%). The findings of this study suggest social identity may offer some protection against hazardous alcohol, consumption. There was a significant difference between the hours students attended paid employment (p < 0.001); university classes (p = 0.003) and low risk and hazardous drinking. Internationally, a high prevalence of risky alcohol consumption among university populations is commonly reported [1] [2] [3] [4] . Social Connectedness feelings of social connection and positivity toward novel individuals on both explicit and implicit levels (source: Hutcherson, 2008). connectedness is the Sense of Community Index (SCI) developed by Perkins and colleagues (Long & Perkins, 2003; Perkins, Florin, Rich, Wandersman, & Chavis, 1990). International students (88.2%) (p < 0.001) were more likely to participate in low risk drinking behavior. We Methods. The majority of respondents lived with parent/s or guardian/s (n = 1418; 60.3%), followed by sharing a flat or residence (n = 590; 25.1%); living with a partner and/or children (n = 128; 5.4%), or living in student housing (n = 114; 4.9%). Community sports and clubs was low risk and hazardous levels ( source: Hutcherson, 2008 ) a higher of. The findings of this study = 1825 ) of students had consumed in! 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