title: Reality Television Programs Are Associated With Illegal Drug Use and Prescription Drug Misuse Among College Students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reality television watching and social media use are popular activities. Reality television can include mention of illegal drug use and prescription drug misuse.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine if reality television and social media use of Twitter are associated with either illegal drug use or prescription drug misuse.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey of 576 college students in 2011. Independent variables included watching reality television (social cognitive theory), parasocial interaction (parasocial interaction theory), television hours watched (cultivation theory), following a reality television character on Twitter, and demographics. Outcome variables were illegal drug use and prescription drug misuse.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Watching reality television and also identifying with reality TV program characters were each associated with greater odds for illegal drug use. Also, following a reality TV character on Twitter had greater odds for illegal drug use and also in one analytical model for prescription drug misuse. No support was seen for cultivation theory. Those born in the United States had greater odds for illegal drug use and prescription drug misuse. Women and Asians had lower odds for illegal drug use. African Americans and Asians had lower odds for prescription drug misuse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physicians, psychologists, and other healthcare practitioners may find it useful to include questions in their clinical interview about reality television watching and Twitter use. Physician and psychology groups, public health practitioners, and government health agencies should consider discussing with television broadcasting companies the potential negative impact of including content with illegal drugs and prescription drug misuse on reality television programs.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Business Management , Brooklyn College of the City University of New York , Brooklyn , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fogel
authors.affiliation: b Department of Biology , Brooklyn College of the City University of New York , Brooklyn , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shlivko
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City; D063487:Prescription Drug Misuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018570:Risk Assessment; D061108:Social Media; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013690:Television / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs
keywords: Prescription drugs; health behavior; social media; street drugs; television