News in brief - Jan. 30, 2012

Binge drinking most common among men and young adults

Despite public health efforts to reduce binge drinking, the practice remains common among U.S. adults, according to a study in the Jan. 13 issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. In 2010, 17.1% of adults reported binge drinking, compared with 15.2% in 2009, the report shows.

Researchers said the increase probably is due to the inclusion of cellphone respondents in the 2010 survey. People who have a cellphone but no land-line telephone typically are 18 to 34 years old and male, researchers said. Both groups tend to report a higher prevalence of binge drinking than other adults.

Researchers analyzed data from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System on binge drinking among adults and the frequency and intensity of such alcohol consumption. They found that binge drinking prevalence and intensity were highest among participants 18 to 34 years old (www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6101a4.htm).

However, people 65 and older were more likely to be binge drinkers more often. Such consumption also was more common among men, whites and those with a household income of $75,000 or greater.

Researchers encourage public health officials to implement evidence-based strategies to prevent binge drinking, such as increasing the price of alcohol and maintaining limits on the days and hours when it can be sold.

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Study warns of dangers to pedestrians wearing headphones

A survey of news articles and other reports shows that injuries or deaths involving pedestrians who are in accidents while listening to headphones have increased. The study was published online Jan. 16 in Injury Prevention.

For 2004-05, the study found 16 reported deaths or injuries to pedestrians wearing headphones compared with 47 such cases during 2010-11, according to data gathered in the study. Researchers note that one major limitation of the study is that it relied on media reporting, which likely over-publishes tragic events and under-publishes non-fatal cases.

Researchers examined 116 accidents that were reported from 2004 to 2011 in which injured pedestrians were documented to be using headphones. They found that 70% of the accidents resulted in the pedestrian's death. Sixty-eight percent of those killed were male, and 67% were younger than 30 (injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/early/2012/01/03/injuryprev-2011-040161.short).

More than half of the vehicles involved in the accidents were trains, and nearly one in three drivers reported sounding a warning before the crash. The report calls for additional research to determine if and how using headphones compromises pedestrian safety.

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