scholarly journals Alcohol use and alcohol-related harm in rural and remote communities: protocol for a scoping review

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. e036753
Author(s):  
Erik Loewen Friesen ◽  
Paul Kurdyak
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Rural And Remote ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Scoping Reviews ◽  
Alcohol Related Harm ◽  
Related Harm

IntroductionAlcohol-related harm is a major public health concern and appears to be particularly problematic in rural and remote communities. Evidence from several countries has shown that the prevalence of harmful alcohol use and alcohol-attributable hospitalisations and emergency department visits are higher in rural and remote communities than in urban centres. The extents of this rural–urban disparity in alcohol-related harm as well as the factors that mediate it are poorly understood. The objective of this scoping review is to synthesise the international research on the factors that influence the prevalence or risk of alcohol-related harm in rural and remote communities. This will help to clarify the conceptual landscape of rural and remote alcohol research and identify the gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed.Methods and analysisThis scoping review will access published literature through search strategies developed for Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, CINAHL and Sociological Abstracts. There will be no date, country or language restrictions placed on the search. Title and abstract, followed by full-text screening, will be conducted by two independent reviewers to evaluate all identified articles against a set of prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data from selected articles will be extracted and compiled into a final manuscript that adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist guidelines.Ethics and disseminationThe results of this review will be helpful in guiding future research on rural and remote alcohol use and alcohol-related harm, which will inform more effective, evidence-based public health strategies to reduce alcohol-related harm in rural and remote communities. The results will be disseminated via field-specific conference presentations and peer-reviewed publication.

scholarly journals Hazardous alcohol use and alcohol-related harm in rural and remote communities: a scoping review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Loewen Friesen ◽  
Jacob Bailey ◽  
Sarah Hyett ◽  
Sina Sedighi ◽  
Mitchell Lennox de Snoo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Rural And Remote ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Hazardous Alcohol Use ◽  
Hazardous Alcohol ◽  
Alcohol Related Harm ◽  
Related Harm

scholarly journals Exploring the use of workplaces to recruit “hard-to-reach” male drinkers to a survey on alcohol use and awareness of health messages

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Dance ◽  
Charlotte Dack ◽  
Celia Lasheras ◽  
Cathy McMahon ◽  
Paul Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Financial Incentive ◽  
Health Messages ◽  
Heavy Episodic Drinking ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Recruitment Strategies ◽  
Public Health Messages ◽  
Alcohol Related Harm ◽  
Related Harm

Abstract Background Lower socioeconomic status (SES) groups, particularly lower SES males, are at greater risk of alcohol-related harm than higher SES groups, despite drinking at the same level or less. However, they are rarely recruited for research through typical recruitment strategies. Consequently, limited evidence exists on patterns of alcohol use and effectiveness of public health messages for these groups. Using workplaces to recruit male drinkers from lower SES backgrounds may provide a feasible and accessible approach to research participation and enable improved understanding of alcohol use, drinking motives and acceptance of alcohol-related public health messages in this underrepresented and high-risk group. We investigated workplace-based strategies to recruit male drinkers from lower SES backgrounds. We also investigated their experiences and motivations for alcohol use, and acceptance of alcohol-related public health messages. Methods A feasibility element investigated the effectiveness of workplace-based strategies to recruit male drinkers from lower SES backgrounds in the south west of England. A pilot element investigated this population’s experiences and motivations for alcohol use, and acceptance of alcohol-related public health messages, through a mixed-methods survey. Results Feasibility results indicated that workplace-based recruitment strategies, including recruiting participants in person at their workplace and providing a financial incentive, effectively led to the recruitment of 84 male drinkers (70% recruitment rate), predominately from lower SES backgrounds, to a survey. Pilot results indicated that more than half of participants were at increasing risk of alcohol-related harm, and approximately one fifth engaged in weekly heavy episodic drinking. Participation in campaigns aimed at reducing alcohol use, and knowledge of government alcohol consumption guidelines, were low. Participants reported negative beliefs about alcohol including health effects, dependency and excess use, and financial and occupational effects. Positive beliefs about alcohol included relaxation, socialising, and enjoyment. Conclusions Workplace-based recruitment, using in-person recruitment and a financial incentive, may be a feasible strategy to recruit male drinkers from lower SES backgrounds. Pilot results may direct larger scale research aiming to understand alcohol use in this population and inform targeted public health messages. Workplace-based recruitment may represent a promising avenue for future research aiming to tackle inequalities in participation in alcohol research.

scholarly journals Use of telehealth in the provision of after-hours palliative care services in rural and remote Australia: A scoping review protocol

PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0261962
Author(s):  
Pathmavathy Namasivayam ◽  
Dung T. Bui ◽  
Christine Low ◽  
Tony Barnett ◽  
Heather Bridgman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Rural And Remote ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Scoping Reviews ◽  
Palliative Care Services ◽  
After Hours

Introduction After-hours services are essential in ensuring patients with life limiting illness and their caregivers are supported to enable continuity of care. Telehealth is a valuable approach to meeting after-hours support needs of people living with life-limiting illness, their families, and caregivers in rural and remote communities. It is important to explore the provision of after-hours palliative care services using telehealth to understand the reach of these services in rural and remote Australia. A preliminary search of databases failed to reveal any scoping or systematic reviews of telehealth in after-hours palliative care services in rural or remote Australia. Aim To review and map the available evidence about the use of telehealth in providing after-hours palliative care services in Australian rural and remote communities. Methods The proposed scoping review will be conducted using the Arksey and O’Malley methodological framework and in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. The reporting of the scoping review will be guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). This review will consider research and evaluation of after-hours services using telehealth for palliative care stakeholders in rural and remote Australia. Peer reviewed studies and grey literature published in English from 2000 to May 2021 will be included. Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL Complete, Embase via Ovid, PsycINFO via Ovid, Emcare via Ovid, Medline via Ovid, and grey literature will be searched for relevant articles. Titles and abstracts will be screened by two independent reviewers for assessment against the inclusion criteria. Data will be extracted and analysed by two reviewers using an adapted data extraction tool and thematic analysis techniques. Diagrams, tables, and summary narratives will be used to map, summarise and thematically group the characteristics of palliative care telehealth services in rural and remote Australia, including stakeholders’ perceptions and benefits and challenges of the services.

Evidence into action: implementing alcohol screening and brief interventions in the UK Armed Forces

2020 ◽  
Vol 166 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Andrew Dermont ◽  
P Field ◽  
J Shepherd ◽  
R Rushton
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Alcohol Screening ◽  
Public Health Approach ◽  
Service Personnel ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Alcohol Related Harm ◽  
Related Harm

IntroductionAlcohol-related harm continues to represent a major public health problem and previous evidence suggests that alcohol misuse within the UK Armed Forces is higher than in the general population. The aim was to introduce a population-level primary care intervention with an existing evidence base to identify and support Service Personnel whose drinking places them at greater risk of harm.ImplementationFollowing successful piloting, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) brief screening tool was introduced as part of routine dental inspections by Defence Primary Healthcare (DPHC) dentists. Alcohol brief intervention (ABI) advice and signposting to support services was offered to personnel identified as being at increased risk and recorded in the patient’s electronic health record.Achievements to datePatients attending DPHC Dental Centres are now routinely offered AUDIT-C with 74% (109 459) personnel screened in the first 12 months rising to over 276 000 at 24 months, representing the single largest use of AUDIT-C and ABIs in a military population to date.DiscussionIntroduction of AUDIT-C has seen Defence successfully deliver a whole population alcohol initiative, overcoming implementation barriers to demonstrate the flexibility of a dental workforce to deliver a public health intervention at scale and contributing towards promoting positive attitudes towards alcohol use. The initiative represents a first step towards the goal of a standardised alcohol screening and treatment pathway across DPHC while recognising that the Defence Medical Services are only one aspect of the broader public health approach required to tackle alcohol-related harm in Service Personnel.

scholarly journals Workshop: Alcohol policy reforms in European countries – challenges and solutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Alcohol Policy ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
The Public ◽  
Harmful Use ◽  
Effective Public Health ◽  
Alcohol Related Harm ◽  
Harmful Use Of Alcohol ◽  
Related Harm

Abstract Alcohol-related harm is a major public health concern in Europe, with levels of alcohol consumption and associated health harm among the highest worldwide. According to the European Commission, premature deaths linked to alcohol account for over 7% of all European morbidity, and alcohol is a major avoidable risk factor for neuropsychiatric disorders, cardiovascular diseases, cirrhosis of the liver, cancer and unintentional and intentional injuries. Even moderate use of alcohol raises long-term risks of certain heart conditions, liver disease and cancers, and frequent use can lead to dependence. There is extensive research on efficient strategies to reduce alcohol-related harm, alongside high-level policy recommendations. Examples are the WHO’s global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol and the WHO European office’s European action plan to reduce the harmful use of alcohol 2012-2020. The European Union (EU) strategy to support member states in reducing alcohol-related harm expired in 2012. Since then, the Committee on National Alcohol Policy and Action (CNAPA) has drawn up a non-binding Action Plan in relation to alcohol and EU countries have the main responsibility for their national alcohol policy. Despite strong evidence bases supporting alcohol policy, the implementation of potentially effective alcohol policy is often challenged by companies with commercial interests seeking to undermine evidence and advocate for less effective alternatives. These alternatives, such as education or voluntary industry action, are often favoured by politicians and the public. This opposition to evidence-based alcohol policy represents a challenge to public health. In this session, we will discuss recent developments in alcohol policy reform in Estonia, Finland and Scotland; reflecting on the outcomes of policies and the challenges faced in implementation. We invite commentaries from national experts and from the DG Sante and WHO Euro. Among these the French commentary will address the influence of the alcohol industry in circumventing effective public health policies, with discussions concerning the new strict French low-risk guidelines on alcohol use as one example. The objective of this workshop is to share experiences of the challenges faced in applying effective alcohol policies, to discuss ways to tackle those challenges, and to invite the EU and the WHO to share their views on ways to overcome these barriers in future policy advocacy. Key messages Commercial determinants of health are a powerful force in preventing effective public health policy on alcohol-related harm. The public health community need to work in a persistent and coordinated manner to bring in a suite of effective alcohol policy interventions across Europe.

scholarly journals Identifying Environmental Determinants Relevant to Health and Wellbeing in Remote Australian Indigenous Communities: A Scoping Review of Grey Literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4167
Author(s):  
Amal Chakraborty ◽  
Mark Daniel ◽  
Natasha J. Howard ◽  
Alwin Chong ◽  
Nicola Slavin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Classification System ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Environmental Determinants ◽  
Health And Wellbeing

The high prevalence of preventable infectious and chronic diseases in Australian Indigenous populations is a major public health concern. Existing research has rarely examined the role of built and socio-political environmental factors relating to remote Indigenous health and wellbeing. This research identified built and socio-political environmental indicators from publicly available grey literature documents locally-relevant to remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia. Existing planning documents with evidence of community input were used to reduce the response burden on Indigenous communities. A scoping review of community-focused planning documents resulted in the identification of 1120 built and 2215 socio-political environmental indicators. Indicators were systematically classified using an Indigenous indicator classification system (IICS). Applying the IICS yielded indicators prominently featuring the “community infrastructure” domain within the built environment, and the “community capacity” domain within the socio-political environment. This research demonstrates the utility of utilizing existing planning documents and a culturally appropriate systematic classification system to consolidate environmental determinants that influence health and disease occurrence. The findings also support understanding of which features of community-level built and socio-political environments amenable to public health and social policy actions might be targeted to help reduce the prevalence of infectious and chronic diseases in Indigenous communities.

Barriers to Help Seeking among Victims of Elder Abuse: A Scoping Review and Implications for Public Health Policy in Canada

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Jessica K. Gill
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Informal Networks ◽  
Canadian Context ◽  
Effective Assessment

Abstract Elder abuse is a serious public health concern requiring immediate intervention; however, the under-reporting of elder abuse by victims to formal and informal networks remains a major obstacle. This scoping review aims to identify barriers to help seeking that older adults experiencing abuse confront. The goal is to inform public policies and practices in the Canadian context and identify research gaps in the extant literature. Seven scholarly databases were searched from which 12 articles met the inclusion criteria and were extracted for analysis. The findings from this scoping review revealed three levels at which barriers exist: individual focused, abuser/family focused, and community/culture focused barriers. The results suggest that there are several complex obstacles that older adults face when contemplating disclosure of abuse. Future research into help seeking in the Canadian context should more readily incorporate the voices of elder abuse victim-survivors to develop effective assessment strategies and responsive service provisions.

scholarly journals Priority domains, aims, and testable hypotheses for implementation research: Protocol for a scoping review and evidence map

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan R. Garner ◽  
Sheila V. Patel ◽  
M. Alexis Kirk
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Implementation Science ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Implementation Research ◽  
Scientific Theories ◽  
National Academy Of Sciences ◽  
Evidence Map ◽  
Path Diagram ◽  
Scoping Reviews ◽  
Academy Of Sciences

Abstract Background The challenge of implementing evidence-based innovations within practice settings is a significant public health issue that the field of implementation research (IR) is focused on addressing. Significant amounts of funding, time, and effort have been invested in IR to date, yet there remains significant room for advancement, especially regarding IR’s development of scientific theories as defined by the National Academy of Sciences (i.e., a comprehensive explanation of the relationship between variables that is supported by a vast body of evidence). Research priority setting (i.e., promoting consensus about areas where research effort will have wide benefits to society) is a key approach to helping accelerate research advancements. Thus, building upon existing IR, general principles of data reduction, and a general framework for moderated mediation, this article identifies four priority domains, three priority aims, and four testable hypotheses for IR, which we organize in the priority aims and testable hypotheses (PATH) diagram. Methods The objective of this scoping review is to map the extent to which IR has examined the identified PATH priorities to date. Our sample will include IR published in leading implementation-focused journals (i.e., Implementation Science, Implementation Science Communications, and Implementation Research and Practice) between their inception and December 2020. The protocol for the current scoping review and evidence map has been developed in accordance with the approach developed by Arksey and O’Malley and advanced by Levac, Colquhoun, and O’Brien. Because scoping reviews seek to provide an overview of the identified evidence base rather than synthesize findings from across studies, we plan to use our data-charting form to provide a descriptive overview of implementation research to date and summarize the research via one or more summary tables. We will use the PATH diagram to organize a map of the evidence to date. Discussion This scoping review and evidence map is intended to help accelerate IR focused on suggested priority aims and testable hypotheses, which in turn will accelerate IR’s development of National Academy of Sciences-defined scientific theories and, subsequently, improvements in public health. Systematic review registration Open Science Framework https://osf.io/3vhuj/

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