Which features of impulsivity influence alcohol consumption

Background: Impulsive behaviour and excessive alcohol consumption is a double edged sword. Impulsivity has been implicated in the literature regarding alcohol use. It is regularly disentangled for further analyses. Furthermore, previous literature has acknowledged such relationship yet there has been problematic findings and patterns related to this rapport. Impulsivity is a heterogeneous construct in scientific literature and is assessed by many different measures. Methods: 138 participants completed assessment of alcohol consumption, dependence and alcohol related problems using the AUDIT. Impulsivity was assessed using the UPPS-P behavioural scale (i.e. negative urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, sensation seeking and positive urgency). Therefore, multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the predictive act of the sub-dimensions of impulsivity on alcohol consumption, dependence and alcohol related problems. Results: Sensation seeking was predictive of alcohol dependency. Where the remaining sub-dimensions were not predictive of any other alcohol related score in this model. Further, alcohol and age were correlated, finding older cohorts (31-71 years) engaging in alcohol consumption as well as being more dependent and having more alcohol related problems than the lower age group (18-30 years). Conclusion: Sensation Seeking was the only sub-dimension of impulsivity predictive of alcohol dependency. This finding is closely linked to previous research on the overall impact and importance of assessing sensation seeking and its relationship to alcohol. This study calls for further assessment, as well as the implementation of intervention programs