scholarly journals A community intervention to reduce alcohol consumption and drunkenness among adolescents in Sweden: a quasi-experiment

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Svensson ◽  
Björn Johnson ◽  
Karl Kronkvist
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Community Intervention ◽  
Parental Attitudes ◽  
Compulsory Education ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Probability Models ◽  
Drinking Habits ◽  
Adolescent Drinking ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Linear Probability

Abstract Background Several studies have examined the effect of community interventions on youth alcohol consumption, and the results have often been mixed. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a community intervention known as the Öckerö Method on adolescent alcohol consumption and perceived parental attitudes towards adolescent drinking. Method The study is based on a quasi-experimental design, using matched controls. Self-report studies were conducted among adolescents in grades 7–9 of compulsory education in four control and four intervention communities in the south of Sweden in 2016–2018. Baseline measures were collected in autumn 2016 before the intervention was implemented in the intervention communities. Outcomes were the adolescents’ alcohol consumption, past-year drunkenness, past-month drunkenness and perceived parental attitudes towards alcohol. Results Estimating Difference-in-Difference models using Linear Probability Models, we found no empirical evidence that the intervention has any effect on adolescents’ drinking habits, or on their perceptions of their parents’ attitudes towards adolescent drinking. Conclusion This is the first evaluation of this method, and we found no evidence that the intervention had any effect on the level of either young people’s alcohol consumption or their past-year or past-month drunkenness, nor on their parents’ perceived attitudes toward adolescent drinking. A further improvement would be to employ a follow-up period that is longer than the three-year period employed in this study. Trial registration ISRCTN registry: Study ID: 51635778, 31th March 2021 (Retrospectively registered).

scholarly journals Preventing alcohol use among adolescents: Assessment of the "Alcohol-Free" programme

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-141
Author(s):  
Cristina Sá ◽  
Vânia Rocha ◽  
José Cunha Machado ◽  
José Precioso
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Programme Implementation ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Prevention Programmes ◽  
Experimental Group

Introduction: Alcohol use among adolescents is associated with serious health problems and with increased mortality. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of the "Alcohol-free" programme in the prevention of alcohol consumption among adolescents. Methodology: A quasi-experimental study was conducted including an experimental group of 92 students and a control group of 77 students, who attended the 3rd cycle of basic education at Braga and Porto schools (Portugal). A self-report questionnaire was administered to both groups before and after the programme implementation. The programme was only administered to the experimental group. Results: The “Alcohol-Free” programme may have facilitated the prevention of early alcohol experimentation among adolescents who had never consumed alcohol. The programme may have also helped to reinforce the participants’ intention not to drink alcohol in the future and to prevent increasing drunkenness prevalence among the experimental group. No significant differences were found on the adolescents’ current alcohol consumption and on their knowledge regarding alcohol use. Conclusions: This study contributes to improve future school-based prevention programmes, which should include families, peers and the school community.

Effect of the Covid-19 Italian lockdown on human health: the analysis of alcohol consumption for aware quarantine (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Mazzarella ◽  
Annamaria Spina ◽  
Marcello Dallio ◽  
Antonietta Gerarda Gravina ◽  
Mario Romeo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Abuse ◽  
Psychosocial Factors ◽  
Alcohol Drinking ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Stressful Event ◽  
Drinking Behaviour ◽  
Drinking Habits ◽  
Specific Subset

BACKGROUND Italy has been one of the first western countries seriously involved in the COVID-19 pandemic in the first months of 2020 and so that the national government was forced to impose a long lockdown period, stopping all the people aggregation outdoor and indoor activities. From a social point of view this period of domestic confinement resulted in deep changes of behaviours and lifestyles, promoting in many people the onset of psychological symptoms and signs (including anxiety, depression, insomnia, and irritability among others) already known as associated with drug and alcohol abuse OBJECTIVE this study aims to assess the variation of alcohol drinking habits in a sample of Italian citizens during the COVID-19 lockdown and to identify the psychosocial factors surrounding it, in order to assess the specific subset of the population that could need psychosocial support during these events METHODS An online anonymous questionnaire was created and submitted from 9th April 2020 to 28th April 2020 using social medias and e-mails. Questions were related to personal details such as age, work, instruction, and, moreover, to alcohol drinking habits during the lockdown, including Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT C) test questions RESULTS A total of 1234 surveys were filled out by subjects with an age range from 18 to 80 years old. An increase in both anxiety and fear has been detected in most of the participants (63% and 61% respectively) with a direct (r=0.652; p<0.001) relationship between them. Participants older than 50 years showed the strongest correlation between alcohol consumption, fear, and anxiety, (r=0.830, P <0.001 and r=0.741, P<0.001, respectively). Subjects living alone experienced a stronger association between anxiety, fear, and higher level of alcohol consumption (r: 0.529; P<0.001; r: 0.628, P<0.001 respectively). Moreover, 18% of participants increased alcohol consumption drinking during the lockdown. These subjects showed a lower frequency of alcohol consumption before the lockdown in comparison to the rest of the study population (2.5±0.96 vs 3±1.03, P<0.0001 respectively). Moreover, comparing the abovementioned groups, the percentage of subjects who experienced higher alcohol assumption before the 11th of March was higher in those that didn't change their drinking behaviour during the lockdown in comparison to that portion of them that experienced a worsening of alcohol abuse (r: 30.422, P<0.0001) CONCLUSIONS according to these data, during the Italian lockdown due to COVID 19 pandemic, different kind of people experienced an increase in alcohol drinking. Several psychosocial factors are involved in determining the increase in harmful alcohol consumption during this extraordinary stressful event and they must be addressed by the healthcare support in order to avoid awful lockdown impact on human life

scholarly journals Why is syphilis rising in Europe? Multi-level modelling of alternative hypotheses in 31 countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Mendez-Lopez ◽  
D Stuckler ◽  
T Noori ◽  
J C Semenza
Keyword(s):  
Risky Sexual Behavior ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Internet Survey ◽  
Probability Models ◽  
Syphilis Infection ◽  
Detection Rates ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Linear Probability

Abstract Background Syphilis transmission has increased markedly over the past two decades in Europe, concentrated in men who have sex with men. We test alternative potential social and behavioral individual- and population-level determinants of this resurgence. Methods Two rounds of the cross-sectional European Men who have sex with men Internet Survey (EMIS 2010 and 2017, n = 272,902) were used to fit multi-level linear probability models to evaluate determinants of the incidence of self-reported syphilis, capturing risky sexual behaviours and pre-exposure prophylaxis use, among others, adjusting for potential sociodemographic confounders. Results Self-reported syphilis incidence rates rose by about 1.8 percentage points (within the last 12 months) and 3.9 (within the last 5 years) between the 2010 and 2017 waves, after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. HIV status was a major risk factor for syphilis infection (27.6 ppt higher incident rate, 95%CI: 24.7 to 30.5). A dose-response relationship was observed between greater numbers of condomless non-steady partners and syphilis infection, with more than 10 partners estimating increases in the probability of diagnosis of over 25 ppt (11-20 partners vs none: 24.5 ppt, 95%CI: 20.5 to 28.5); further, we observed evidence of mediation for number of condomless non-steady partners, which attenuated the estimated rise in 2017 vs 2010 by about 35%. STI testing uptake also accounted for a substantial increase in syphilis incidence signaling higher detection rates over time. While country-level PrEP use was linked to greater number of condomless partners, there was no substantial impact of population-wide factors, including GDP and PrEP use, on overall syphilis trends. Conclusions Risky sexual behavior changes, particularly condomless sex with non-steady partners, appears to be a major contributing factor to rising syphilis incidence. Further research is needed to understand what accounts for this substantial behavior change. Key messages Increased number of condomless non-steady partners accounts for a substantial rise in syphilis trends. Population-level PrEP use was linked to increasing numbers of condomless non-steady partners but had no substantial impact on overall syphilis trends.

scholarly journals Snus and Alcohol: Mutually Rewarding Effects in the Brain? A Matched Controlled Population Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 117822182110271
Author(s):  
Reidulf G Watten ◽  
Veslemøy P Watten
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Population Study ◽  
Dental Health ◽  
Mental Health Status ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Group Design ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
Drinking Habits

Background: The use of moist smokeless tobacco (snus) is increasing in the U.S. and other Western countries, and especially among young people. Snus is associated with several health problems, but the relationship between use of snus and alcohol is scarcely explored. Neuro-cognitive and psychological research suggest an association due to possible mutually rewarding effects in the limbic brain. We investigated this issue in a matched controlled population study. Methods: Matched control group design where drinking habits and alcohol consumption in a group of users of snus (n = 1043, mean age = 35.20; n men = 749, n women = 294) were compared to a control group of non-users matched on age and gender (n = 1043, mean age = 35.65; n men = 749, n women = 294). In addition, we registered background variables such as level of education, income, self-perceived general, dental health, mental health, current depressive symptoms, and BMI. In estimation of alcohol consumption, the background variables were used as covariates in factorial analyses of variance (ANCOVA). Results: Users of snus had lower level of education, lower income, poorer general, dental, and mental health status than non-users, but there were no differences in BMI. Differences in mental health status were related to drinking habits. Users of snus had a higher frequency of drinking, higher frequency of intoxication, and showed more excess drinking. Controlled for background variables users of snus had a 25.2% higher estimated yearly consumption of alcohol in terms of standard units of alcohol on the weekdays, 26.4% higher on weekends and a 60.2% higher yearly excess consumption. Conclusion: Users of snus had an elevated alcohol consumption and another drinking style than non-users. The findings are discussed according to neuro-cognitive and psychopharmacological mechanisms, reward learning and conditioning. The results have implications for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of alcohol and nicotine dependence.

scholarly journals Excellent Self-Rated Health among Swedish Boys and Girls and Its Relationship with Working Conditions in School: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1310
Author(s):  
Sara Brolin Låftman ◽  
Maria Granvik Saminathen ◽  
Bitte Modin ◽  
Petra Löfstedt
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Probability Models ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Linear Probability ◽  
Classmate Support

The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which school demands, teacher support, and classmate support were associated with excellent self-rated health among students, and to examine if any such statistical predictions differed by gender. Data were drawn from the Swedish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study of 2017/18, performed among adolescents in grades five, seven, and nine (n = 3701). Linear probability models showed that school demands were negatively associated with excellent self-rated health, whereas teacher and classmate support showed positive associations. The link with school demands was stronger for girls than boys, driven by the finding that in grades five and nine, school demands were associated with excellent self-rated health only among girls. In conclusion, the study suggests that working conditions in school in terms of manageable school demands and strong teacher and classmate support may benefit adolescents’ positive health. The finding that the link between school demands and excellent self-rated health was more evident among girls than among boys may be interpreted in light of girls’ on average stronger focus on schoolwork and academic success. The study contributes with to knowledge about how working conditions in school may impede or promote students’ positive health.

scholarly journals The Influence of Alcohol Consumption on Fighting, Shoplifting and Vandalism in Young Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3509
Author(s):  
Ieuan Evans ◽  
Jon Heron ◽  
Joseph Murray ◽  
Matthew Hickman ◽  
Gemma Hammerton
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Experimental Findings ◽  
Avon Longitudinal Study ◽  
Causal Component

Experimental studies support the conventional belief that people behave more aggressively whilst under the influence of alcohol. To examine how these experimental findings manifest in real life situations, this study uses a method for estimating evidence for causality with observational data—‘situational decomposition’ to examine the association between alcohol consumption and crime in young adults from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Self-report questionnaires were completed at age 24 years to assess typical alcohol consumption and frequency, participation in fighting, shoplifting and vandalism in the previous year, and whether these crimes were committed under the influence of alcohol. Situational decomposition compares the strength of two associations, (1) the total association between alcohol consumption and crime (sober or intoxicated) versus (2) the association between alcohol consumption and crime committed while sober. There was an association between typical alcohol consumption and total crime for fighting [OR (95% CI): 1.47 (1.29, 1.67)], shoplifting [OR (95% CI): 1.25 (1.12, 1.40)], and vandalism [OR (95% CI): 1.33 (1.12, 1.57)]. The associations for both fighting and shoplifting had a small causal component (with the association for sober crime slightly smaller than the association for total crime). However, the association for vandalism had a larger causal component.

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