The use of tobacco for the purpose of weight management is a pervasive and detrimental practice among individuals with overweight or obesity. The Smoking-Related Weight and Eating Episodes Test (SWEET) assesses eating- and weight-related motivations for smoking. The goal of this study was to validate the SWEET in Spanish individuals with overweight or obesity. Adults seeking treatment for smoking cessation (N = 123; 54.47% female; MBMI = 31.71 ± 4.27) completed the SWEET and measures related to smoking, weight, eating, emotional symptoms, and physical activity. Reliability and validity were assessed based on internal structure, internal consistency, and relationships with other variables. A four-factor correlated model, as found in the original SWEET, exhibited an adequate fit. The reliability coefficients demonstrated adequate internal consistency across subscales (α = .68 - .88), and the relationships with other measures were consistent, providing positive evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. The implementation of this valid and reliable instrument to assess eating- and weight-related motivations for smoking in individuals with overweight or obesity undergoing smoking cessation may contribute to the development of more effective treatment strategies tailored to the needs of this population.

Longitudinal studies examining how personality variables predict substance use in adolescents in Latin America are scarce. This study examined variations in alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use over three years among Argentinian adolescents, and assessed how impulsivity and risk-taking (at Time 1) prospectively discriminate between adolescents with and without binge drinking, tobacco and cannabis use at Time 3. A longitudinal design was employed. A total of 1080 adolescents (M=12.27 years, SD=0.952; 54% girls) from Córdoba (Argentina) completed, once per year for three years, a risk-taking task (BART) and a survey assessing substance use and trait impulsivity. Drug use increased over time, reaching lifetime prevalence rates of 85% (alcohol), 18% (tobacco), and 8% (cannabis) at the final assessment. Tobacco use was significantly higher (p ≤ .05) among girls and cannabis use was higher (p ≤ .01) among boys. Higher levels of negative urgency (PR = 1.023), lack of premeditation (PR = 1.025), lack of perseverance (PR = 1.045), sensation seeking (PR = 1.036), and risk-taking (PR = 1.008) at baseline were associated with a higher prevalence of BD two years later. Higher levels of lack of perseverance (PR = 1.033) and sensation seeking (PR = 1.029) were associated with a higher subsequent prevalence of tobacco use. Lack of premeditation (PR = 1.057), lack of perseverance (PR = 1.042), sensation seeking (PR = 1.033), and risk-taking (PR = 1.019) were associated with a higher subsequent prevalence of marijuana use. Adolescents with higher levels of impulsivity and risk-taking constitute a relevant subpopulation for the design of preventive interventions aimed at delaying the onset and progression towards problematic substance use.

Social networking addiction (SNA) is not formally recognized as a disorder in current diagnostic systems, although research has mainly approached it from an addiction-based perspective. Most available instruments provide predominantly unidimensional scores, which may limit the characterization of symptom heterogeneity. The AdiTec-I was developed as a multidimensional instrument adapted from DSM-IV-TR substance abuse and dependence criteria to assess SNA. This study examined evidence of validity based on the internal structure of AdiTec-I scores, reliability estimates, convergent and discriminant evidence, and measurement invariance across gender and cultural background in Spanish-speaking adolescents and young adults. The final sample comprised 3,817 participants aged 14-22 years (M = 15.94, SD = 1.44) from educational institutions in Spain and Latin America. A competitive confirmatory factor analysis showed that the hierarchical second-order model, comprising Abuse, Abstinence, Lack of Control, and Escape, provided adequate fit and was retained over the alternative models (CFI = .935, RMSEA = .066, SRMR = .046). Reliability estimates were adequate across all domains, and convergent and discriminant evidence supported score interpretation. Metric invariance supported comparable interpretation of the latent structure across gender and cultural background, whereas scalar invariance was only partially supported. These findings support the AdiTec-I as a psychometrically sound multidimensional instrument for assessing SNA in Spanish-speaking adolescents and young adults. Its hierarchical structure supports both overall severity assessment and profile-based interpretation of domain scores, with potential usefulness in preventive and clinical settings. Future research should strengthen the Escape domain, extend cross-group evidence, and examine temporal stability, external criteria, and the practical utility of interpretive thresholds.

The digitization of gambling has led to the proliferation of gambling-like products in areas such as video games and financial investment platforms. Although these practices share structural mechanisms and risk profiles with gambling, evidence on their relationship with associated harm and their joint role in predicting gambling severity remains limited. This study examined the association between recent participation (within the last 60 days) in these activities, along with traditional forms of gambling, and gambling severity (PGSI) and related harm (SGHS). The sample is derived from a randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT06681103), from which only the pre-intervention baseline assessment data were utilized. A total of 1,889 young people aged 18-34 living in Spain were recruited, of whom 53.9% (n=1,018) had recently participated in gambling or similar activities, forming the sample analyzed. Both indicators were modelled using hierarchical ordinal regression, with adjustments made for overall involvement (frequency and number of activities) and sociodemographic factors. The associations with severity remained after all adjustments, with adjusted ORs (aORs) between 1.9 and 3.6 (p<0.01), with video game betting and commodity trading standing out, with magnitudes similar to those observed for slot machines, casinos, and sports betting. In the SGHS, only eSports betting and commodity trading (aOR=2.23, p<0.05) retained their association with a higher number of harms after sociodemographic adjustment, while lotteries showed inverse associations with both indicators (aOR=0.58 in PGSI, and aOR=0.56 in SGHS, p<0.05). The results emphasize the importance of incorporating these new forms of digital spending into the detection and prevention of gambling harm among young adults.

Alcohol is one of the most widely consumed substances worldwide. It is hypothesized that people who use alcohol have poor emotional regulation strategies, something shared by people who commit suicide. Therefore, the aim of this work is to study the mediational effect of coping strategies and distress tolerance in the relationship between excessive alcohol use and suicidal risk. A sample of 1014 participants (33.82% male, 66.17% female; M = 33.0, SD = 15.15) were assessed using a custom sociodemographic questionnaire, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the Coping with Stress Questionnaire (CSQ), Distress Tolerance Stress (DTS), and Suicide Risk (RS). Two mediation models were performed in which AUDIT scores were used as the independent variable, RS score as the dependent and sex as a covariate. In the first model the mediating variable was the CSQ scores and in the second the DTS scores. The relationship was mediated positively by Negative Auto-Focused, Appraisal and Absorption, and negatively by Social Support Seeking and Tolerance. Emotional regulation is a transdiagnostic strategy that can reduce not only alcohol consumption, but also suicidal risk. Given these results, there is a pressing need to develop preventive programs centered on adaptive emotion regulation strategies. Emotional regulation plays a key role in the relationship between excessive alcohol use and suicidal risk.

People who use drugs (PWUD) are at high risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and HCV patients often have psychiatric disorders requiring nervous system drugs, including antipsychotics. These medicines can interact with HCV treatment-related metabolic pathways producing DDIs (drug-drug interactions). This analysis focused on potential DDIs between direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and concomitant medications used in PWUD/antipsychotics-treated HCV patients, alongside associated adverse events (AEs) and clinical interventions in Spain. Electronic medical records (BIG-PAC® database) were used to analyse adult HCV patients treated with glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB) or sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) between 2017-2020. The study included 1,620 HCV patients, 985 identified as PWUD and 187 as antipsychotic users, 75% of whom were also PWUD. In the PWUD cohort, cardiovascular (CV) comorbidities were the most frequent; 22.7% patients were at risk of DDIs with CV, with the risk being higher in GLE/PIB-treated (36.8%) versus SOF/VEL (13.7%) (p<0.001). Cardiovascular AEs were more common in the GLE/PIB group. In the antipsychotic cohort, quetiapine was the most prescribed antipsychotic comedication (26.2%), followed by paliperidone (17.6%) and olanzapine (17.1%). Fifty-one per cent of those on GLE/PIB were at risk of DDIs versus 23% on SOF/VEL (p<0.001). Two AEs were reported in the GLE/PIB group (n=37): one patient on quetiapine at a dose <300mg/day experienced extrapyramidal symptoms, leading to DAA discontinuation, and another paliperidone-treated experienced sedation, necessitating a dose reduction. The findings highlight DDIs risks in HCV patients on antipsychotics or with substance addiction, particularly with GLE/PIB. Comprehensive clinical follow-up is essential to optimise treatment and improve patient safety. Electronic medical records (BIG-PAC® database) were used to analyse adult HCV patients treated with glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB) or sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) between 2017-2020. The study included 1,620 HCV patients, 985 identified as PWUD and 187 as antipsychotic users, 75% of which were also PWUD. In the PWUD cohort, cardiovascular (CV) comorbidities were the most frequent; 22.7% patients were at risk of DDIs with CV, being the risk higher in GLE/PIB-treated (36.8%) versus SOF/VEL (13.7%) (p<0.001). Cardiovascular AEs were more common in the GLE/PIB group. In the antipsychotic cohort, quetiapine was the most prescribed antipsychotic comedication (26.2%), followed by paliperidone (17.6%) and olanzapine (17.1%). Fifty-one per cent of those on GLE/PIB were at risk of DDIs versus 23% on SOF/VEL (p<0.001). Two AEs were reported in the GLE/PIB group (n=37): one patient on quetiapine at a dose <300mg/day experienced extrapyramidal symptoms, leading to DAA discontinuation, and another paliperidone-treated experienced sedation, necessitating a dose reduction. The findings highlight DDIs risks in HCV patients on antipsychotics or with substance addiction, particularly with GLE/PIB. Comprehensive clinical follow-up is essential to optimise treatment and improve patient safety.

Persuasive narratives have been shown to be effective in influencing health behaviors. However, their impact on at-risk populations, such as justice-involved juveniles who use cannabis, has received limited attention. This study analyzes the response of 93 juveniles with judicial measures in detention centers to persuasive video-based narratives. These narratives were developed in accordance with the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) and were gender-adapted. Additionally, variables influencing resistance to the persuasive message, assessed in terms of favorability, were examined. Prior to exposure to the narrative, motivational variables such as risk perception, outcome expectancies (both positive and negative) of cannabis non-use, and self-efficacy for action were measured. Following the viewing, generated thoughts (cognitive responses) and engagement with the narrative, focusing on identification with the protagonist and narrative transportation, were assessed. The results revealed that the thoughts generated focused on the message content of the message and personal experiences, with favorable thoughts predominating. No significant differences were found between males and females. Furthermore, narrative transportation acted as a significant mediator between risk perception and message favorability. This study provides empirical evidence on the effect of persuasive narratives in this population, indicating that their design, based on health behavior change theories, enhances receptivity. The findings support their integration into prevention programs within the context of juvenile justice.

Loss of eating control is a crucial factor in developing obesity, which has become a global health concern, causing important cardiovascular, metabolic, emotional, and cognitive co-morbidities. A major cognitive alteration associated with loss of eating control and obesity is the impairment of cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control. An increasing number of studies confirm that gut microbiota is a significant contributor to loss of eating control, obesity, and cognitive function. Therefore, we have investigated whether gut microbiota transfer from humans with impaired/not impaired cognitive flexibility could substantially affect this behavioral response in mice in the context of obesogenic versus standard diet. Mice were pretreated with an antibiotic cocktail and later received a gut microbiota transplant from human subjects. The transferred microbiota was maintained in mice for seven weeks. Afterward, behavioral tests were performed to evaluate different cognitive responses, locomotor activity, anxiety-like, and depression-like behaviors. Antibiotic treatment significantly impaired short-term memory in mice, as previously reported. Furthermore, mice that received microbiota from high and low cognitive flexibility subjects modified their short-term and long-term memory performance depending on the diet exposure. Slight changes were observed in the locomotor activity, primarily in the high-fat diet-fed antibiotic-treated mice, and no significant alterations were observed in anxiety-like or depressive-like behaviors. In summary, this study shows that gut microbiota is a major contributor to cognitive flexibility, which may open novel therapeutic strategies for combating loss of eating control and related metabolic co-morbidities.

Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) is caused by thiamine deficiency (TD) whose main risk factor is alcohol use disorder. Pathogenic mechanisms associated with WE include mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. This study aims to explore the gene expression signature of certain candidate genes related to neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction and thiamine metabolism in the hippocampus from animals exposed to chronic alcohol consumption, thiamine deficiency or the combination of both. Male Wistar rats (n=42) were randomly assigned to 4 experimental groups: control (C) receiving tap water or tap water plus thiamine (0.2 g/L), chronic alcohol (CA) forced ingestion for 36 weeks, TD diet and pyrithiamine for 12 days (TDD) and CA combined with TDD. The relative gene expression of neurotrophic factors (Ptn, Mdk, Ptprz), proinflammatory molecules (Tlr4, Ccl2 and Hmgb1), mitochondrial homeostatic factors (Mfn1 and Mfn2) and thiamine metabolism (Tpk1) was analyzed in RNA isolated from the hippocampus across all experimental groups. Differences in gene expression were assessed using non-parametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis). Ptprz mRNA levels tended to be downregulated in the TDD group compared to controls (p=0.06, non-significant) and levels were significantly decreased related to the CA+TDD group (p<0.05). TDD group showed the lowest expression levels of Ptn across all experimental groups, and this decrease was statistically significant compared to the control and CA groups (p<0.05). Our findings indicate a differential gene expression profile of the PTN-MDK-PTPRZ axis in the hippocampus of rats receiving a TD diet but not in the rest of the WE models analyzed (CA and CA+TDD).