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...on Prevention
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www.ProjectCork.org
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Winter 2012
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'Selling by drugs': Content analysis of the coverage of illicit drugs in different news media types and formats.
Belackova V; Stastna L; Miovsky M. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy 18(6, special issue): 477-489, 2011. (73 refs.)
Aims: News media coverage of drugs represents an important source for public perceptions of illicit drugs, which shape national drug policies. The aim of this article is to acknowledge differences between media types and formats, which are often neglected in the literature, so that drug field professionals can target them efficiently in order to achieve balanced media coverage of drug issues. Methods: We coded a total of 8380 Czech news media articles from 2007 related to drugs and drug use and analysed them with respect to their characteristics and drug-related coverage. With the use of multinomial logit models, two hypotheses were tested: (1) media types and formats differ with respect to their drug-related contents, and (2) media sources differ across media types and formats. Findings: Significant differences in drug-related coverage between media types and formats were found, except for public and private TV and the partisan and serious press; the media sources differed significantly across all media types and formats, public and serious media allow a broader range of sources. An exploratory analysis showed that there was a greater likelihood of TV and radio broadcasting supply reduction news, while tabloid journals, the partisan press, and local newspapers featured crime-related drug coverage. Conclusion: Drug field professionals can shape their media outputs to the needs of differing media types and formats, such as local media, which allow for direct contact with individual reporters, or audiovisual media, which require competent direct speakers. Copyright 2011, Taylor & Francis.
Alcohol and drug prevention in nightlife settings: A review of experimental studies. (review).
Bolier L; Voorham L; Monshouwer K; van Hasselt N; Bellis M. Substance Use & Misuse 46(13): 1569-1591, 2011. (69 refs.)
This study examines the evidence regarding the effectiveness of interventions aimed at the prevention of harmful alcohol and drug use in nightlife settings. A literature search was conducted in 2009. Of 161 studies, 17 experimental studies were included in the review, 15 alcohol-related and two drug-related studies. The results show that preventive substance abuse interventions in nightlife settings can effectively reduce high-risk alcohol consumption, alcohol-related injury, violent crimes, access to alcohol by underage youth, and alcohol service to intoxicated people. A combination of approaches such as enforcement activities seem to be facilitating factors. However, results should be considered cautiously as more gold standard (cost-) effectiveness research is required, in particular directed at drug prevention and educational interventions in nightlife settings. Copyright 2011, Informa Healthcare.
Familia Adelante: A multi-risk prevention intervention for Latino families.
Cervantes R; Goldbach J; Santos SM. Journal of Primary Prevention 32(3-4): 225-234, 2011. (39 refs.)
A comprehensive approach for providing behavioral health services to youth is becoming increasingly emphasized. Latino youth are at increased risk for substance abuse, mental health concerns, unsafe sexual practices and HIV, and these outcomes have been empirically connected to individual, family and community-based stress. Despite this knowledge, there is a lack of evidence-based approaches that target these negative outcomes by reducing stress in Latino families in a culturally relevant manner. The current study examined the use of research-based strategies for reducing multiple risk behaviors in a predominantly Mexican-American sample of families. Through a modular approach, participants engaged in a psycho-educational curriculum to enhance communication and psychosocial coping, increase substance abuse and HIV knowledge and perception of harm, and improve school behavior. Over 12 sessions, the curriculum aimed to achieve these outcomes through an overall decrease in family and community-based stress by focusing on acculturative stress. Findings indicate that communication and perception of substance use harm were significantly enhanced, while social norms regarding sexual behavior, HIV anxiety and past use of marijuana and other illegal drugs were significantly reduced. While many of measures were reliable (alpha > .80), further changes are necessary to improve the accuracy of future studies. Despite these limitations, Familia Adelante improves many areas of participant's family life, and points toward the feasibility of multi-risk reduction behavioral health prevention approaches. Copyright 2011, Springer.
A randomized, controlled trial to test the efficacy of an online, parent-based intervention for reducing the risks associated with college-student alcohol use.
Donovan E; Wood M; Frayjo K; Black RA; Surette DA. Addictive Behaviors 37(1): 25-35, 2012. (37 refs.)
Alcohol consumption among college students remains a major public health concern. Universal, Web-based interventions to reduce risks associated with student alcohol consumption have been found to be effective in changing their alcohol-related behavior. Recent studies also indicate that parent-based interventions, delivered in booklet form, are effective. A parent-based intervention that is also Web-based may be well suited to a dispersed parent population; however, no such tool is currently available. The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of an online parent-based intervention designed to (1) increase communication between parents and students about alcohol and (2) reduce risks associated with alcohol use to students. A total of 558 participants, comprising 279 parent-teen dyads, were enrolled in the study. The findings suggested that parents who participated in the online intervention were more likely to discuss protective behavioral strategies, particularly those related to manner of drinking and stopping/limiting drinking, with their teens, as compared with parents in an e-newsletter control group. Moreover, students whose parents received the intervention were more likely to use a range of protective behavioral strategies, particularly those related to manner of drinking and stopping/limiting drinking, as compared with students whose parents did not receive the intervention. A universal, online, parent-based intervention to reduce risks associated with student alcohol consumption may be an efficient and effective component of a college's overall prevention strategy. Copyright 2012, Elsevier Science.
Universal family-based prevention programs for alcohol misuse in young people. (review).
Foxcroft DR; Tsertsvadze A. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 9: CD009308, 2011. (112 refs.)
Background Alcohol misuse in young people is a cause of concern for health services, policy makers, prevention workers, and criminal justice system, youth workers, teachers, and parents. Objectives To systematically review evidence on the effectiveness of universal family-based prevention programs in preventing alcohol misuse in school-aged children up to 18 years of age. To update a part of a previously published Cochrane systematic review. Search strategy Relevant evidence ( up to 2002) was selected from the previous Cochrane review. Later studies, to July 2010, were identified from MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, Project CORK, and PsycINFO. Selection criteria Randomized trials evaluating universal family-based prevention programs and reporting outcomes for alcohol use in students 18 years of age or younger were included. Two reviewers screened titles/abstracts and full text of identified records. Data collection and analysis. Two reviewers extracted relevant data independently using an a priori defined extraction form. Risk of bias was assessed. Main results 12 parallel-group trials were included. The reporting quality of trials was poor, only 20% of them reporting adequate method of randomisation and program allocation concealment. Incomplete data was adequately addressed in about half of the trials and this information was unclear for about 30% of the trials. Due to extensive heterogeneity across interventions, populations, and outcomes, the results were summarized only qualitatively. 9 of the 12 trials showed some evidence of effectiveness compared to a control or other intervention group, with persistence of effects over the medium and longer-term. Four of these effective interventions were gender-specific, focusing on young females. One study with a small sample size showed positive effects that were not statistically significant, and two studies with larger sample sizes reported no significant effects of the family-based intervention for reducing alcohol misuse. Authors' conclusions: In conclusion, in this Cochrane systematic review we found that that the effects of family-based prevention interventions are small but generally consistent and also persistent into the medium- to longer-term. Copyright 2011, Wiley-Blackwell.
Does the Life Skills Training program reduce use of marijuana? (review).
Gorman D. Addiction Research & Theory 19(5): 470-481, 2011. (50 refs.)
The Life Skills Training (LST) program is one of the most widely disseminated drug prevention programs developed during the past 30 years. It is estimated that 50,000 teachers and 3 million students in the USA have participated in the program since 1995, and the program has been used in more than 30 other countries worldwide. This article reviews the evaluation studies that have assessed the effects of the LST program on the use of marijuana. Evaluations conducted by both the program developer and other research teams are reviewed. Most of the available evidence, especially coming from the analysis of data from full samples and not subgroup analysis, indicates that the program is unlikely to reduce use or abuse of marijuana among adolescents. The reason that the program has come to be considered so efficacious in preventing marijuana use is that those who promote the program pay little attention to the preponderance of evidence which supports the null hypothesis of no effect. Copyright 2011, Informa Healthcare.
Health warning messages on tobacco products: A review. (review).
Hammond D. Tobacco Control 20(5): 327-337, 2011. (133 refs.)
Objectiv:e To review evidence on the impact of health warning messages on tobacco packages. Data sources: Articles were identified through electronic databases of published articles, as well as relevant 'grey' literature using the following keywords: health warning, health message, health communication, label and labelling in conjunction with at least one of the following terms: smoking, tobacco, cigarette, product, package and pack. Study selection and data extraction: Relevant articles available prior to January 2011 were screened for six methodological criteria. A total of 94 original original articles met inclusion criteria, including 72 quantitative studies, 16 qualitative studies, 5 studies with both qualitative and qualitative components, and 1 review paper: Canada (n = 35), USA (n = 29) Australia (n = 16), UK (n = 13), The Netherlands (n = 3), France (n = 3), New Zealand (n = 3), Mexico (n = 3), Brazil (n = 2), Belgium (n = 1), other European countries (n = 10), Norway (n = 1), Malaysia (n = 1) and China (n = 1). Results: The evidence indicates that the impact of health warnings depends upon their size and design: whereas obscure text-only warnings appear to have little impact, prominent health warnings on the face of packages serve as a prominent source of health information for smokers and non-smokers, can increase health knowledge and perceptions of risk and can promote smoking cessation. The evidence also indicates that comprehensive warnings are effective among youth and may help to prevent smoking initiation. Pictorial health warnings that elicit strong emotional reactions are significantly more effective. Conclusions: Health warnings on packages are among the most direct and prominent means of communicating with smokers. Larger warnings with pictures are significantly more effective than smaller, text-only messages. Copyright 2011, BMJ Publishing.
Multisite cost analysis of a school-based voluntary alcohol and drug prevention program.
Kilmer B; Burgdorf JR; D'Amico EJ; Miles J; Tucker J. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 72(5): 823-832, 2011. (23 refs.)
Objective: This article estimates the societal costs of Project CHOICE, a voluntary after-school alcohol and other drug prevention program for adolescents. To our knowledge, this is the first cost analysis of an after-school program specifically focused on reducing alcohol and other drug use. Method: The article uses microcosting methods based on the societal perspective and includes a number of sensitivity analyses to assess how the results change with alternative assumptions. Cost data were obtained from surveys of participants, facilitators, and school administrators; insights from program staff members; program expenditures; school budgets; the Bureau of Labor Statistics; and the National Center for Education Statistics. Results: From the societal perspective, the cost of implementing Project CHOICE in eight California schools ranged from $121 to $305 per participant (Mdn = $238). The major cost drivers included labor costs associated with facilitating Project CHOICE, opportunity costs of displaced class time (because of in-class promotions for Project CHOICE and consent obtainment), and other efforts to increase participation. Substituting nationally representative cost information for wages and space reduced the range to $100-$206 (Mdn = $182), which is lower than the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's estimate of $262 per pupil for the "average effective school-based program in 2002." Denominating national Project CHOICE costs by enrolled students instead of participants generates a median per-pupil cost of $21 (range: $14-$28). Conclusions: Estimating the societal costs of school-based prevention programs is crucial for efficiently allocating resources to reduce alcohol and other drug use. The large variation in Project CHOICE costs across schools highlights the importance of collecting program cost information from multiple sites. Copyright 2011, Alcohol Research Documentation.
Employing a youth-led adult-guided framework "Why Drive High?" social marketing campaign.
Marko TL; Watt T. Family & Community Health 34(4): 319-330, 2011. (10 refs.)
The "Drugged Driving Kills project: Why Drive High?" social marketing campaign was developed and implemented by youth leaders and adult facilitators from public and community health to increase youth awareness of the adverse effects ofmarijuana on driving. The youth-led adult-guided project was founded on the Holden's youth empowerment conceptual model. This article reports on the results of the focus group evaluation, conducted to determine to what extent the tailored youth-led adult-guided framework for the " Why Drive High?" social marketing campaign provided an environment for youth leadership development. Copyright 2011, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
The Australian national binge drinking campaign: Campaign recognition among young people at a music festival who report risky drinking.
van Gemert C; Dietze P; Gold J; Sacks-Davis R; Stoove M; Vally H et al. BMC Public Health 11: e-article 482, 2011. (31 refs.)
Background: The Australian Government launched a mass media campaign in 2009 to raise awareness of the harms and costs associated risky drinking among young Australians. The aim of this study was to assess if young people attending a music festival who report frequent risky single occasions of drinking (RSOD) recognise the key message of the campaign, "Binge drinking can lead to injuries and regrets", compared to young people who report less frequent RSOD. Methods: A cross-sectional behavioural survey of young people (aged 16-29 years) attending a music festival in Melbourne, Australia, was conducted in January 2009. We collected basic demographics, information on alcohol and other drug use and sexual health and behaviour during the previous 12 months, and measured recognition of the Australian National Binge Drinking Campaign key message. We calculated the odds of recognition of the key slogan of the Australian National Binge Drinking Campaign among participants who reported frequent RSOD (defined as reported weekly or more frequent RSOD during the previous 12 months) compared to participants who reported less frequent RSOD. Results: Overall, three-quarters (74.7%) of 1072 participants included in this analysis recognised the campaign message. In the adjusted analysis, those reporting frequent RSOD had significantly lower odds of recognising the campaign message compared to those not reporting frequent RSOD (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-0.9), whilst females had significantly greater odds of recognising the campaign message compared to males (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.4-2.1). Conclusions: Whilst a high proportion of the target group recognised the campaign, our analysis suggests that participants that reported frequent RSOD - and thus the most important group to target - had statistically significantly lower odds of recognising the campaign message. Copyright 2011, BioMed Central.
Intervention against excessive alcohol consumption in primary health care: A survey of GPs' attitudes and practices in England 10 years on.
Wilson GB; Lock CA; Heather N; Cassidy P; Christie MM; Kaner EF. Alcohol and Alcoholism 46(5): 570-577, 2011. (48 refs.)
Aims: To ascertain the views of general practitioners (GPs) regarding the prevention and management of alcohol-related problems in practice, together with perceived barriers and incentives for this work; to compare our findings with a comparable survey conducted 10 years earlier. Methods: In total, 282 (73%) of 419 GPs surveyed in East Midlands, UK, completed a postal questionnaire, measuring practices and attitudes, including the Shortened Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Perception Questionnaire (SAAPPQ). Results: GPs reported lower levels of post-graduate education or training on alcohol-related issues (< 4 h for the majority) than in 1999 but not significantly so (P = 0.031). In the last year, GPs had most commonly requested more than 12 blood tests and managed 1-6 patients for alcohol. Reports of these preventive practices were significantly increased from 1999 (P < 0.001). Most felt that problem or dependent drinkers' alcohol issues could be legitimately (88%, 87%) and adequately (78%, 69%) addressed by GPs. However, they had low levels of motivation (42%, 35%), task-related self-esteem (53%, 49%) and job satisfaction (15%, 12%) for this. Busyness (63%) and lack of training (57%) or contractual incentives (48%) were key barriers. Endorsement for government policies on alcohol was very low. Conclusion: Among GPs, there still appears to be a gap between actual practice and potential for preventive work relating to alcohol problems; they report little specific training and a lack of support. Translational work on understanding the evidence-base supporting screening and brief intervention could incentivize intervention against excessive drinking and embedding it into everyday primary care practice. Copyright 2011, Oxford University Press.
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