Alcohol and drug use in teenagers with diabetes mellitus

Alcohol and drug use in adolescents with diabetes mellitus was assessed by an anonymous self-administered questionnaire with verification by urine drug screening. Approximately 50% of these adolescents report having tried alcohol and 25% report ongoing use. Almost 25% have tried drugs of abuse and 5% report ongoing use. One of 97 consecutive urine specimens was positive for marijuana. In general, the frequency of alcohol and drug use was less than expected based on other studies of different clinical groups of patients in the same age range. Patients with diabetes who reported drug use or who reported they live in an environment of substance abuse had poorer diabetes control than patients who did not.     

Patterns of drug use among adolescents: the past decade

In recent years investigators have examined patterns of drug use among various populations. None, however, have examined the changes in drug patterns over time. The present study analyzed changes in patterns of drug use among a population of drug-using adolescent students in Ontario (Canada). Three cross-sectional surveys conducted in 1968, 1977 and 1985, which sampled students in grades 7, 9, 11 and 13 (ranging in age from 12 to 20 years), were employed. Using eight substance types as measures (cannabis, barbiturates, stimulants, tranquillizers, inhalants, LSD, heroin and others), four general patterns were constructed: single-drug psychotherapeutic users; multiple psychotherapeutic users; exclusive cannabis users; and multiple-illicit. The findings indicated the following: a significant decrease in the representation of both exclusive and multiple psychotherapeutic users between 1968 and 1977; a significant increase in exclusive cannabis users between 1968 and 1977, and following this a decline into 1985; and a significant increase in multiple illicit users between 1968 and 1977. In all a major shift from a psychotherapeutic-illicit dichotomy to an overwhelming illicit pattern has occurred during the past decade.     

Patterns of drug use among a sample of drug users and injecting drug users attending a General Practice in Iran

Aim  

This study aimed to examine drug use, drug treatment history and risk behaviour among a sample of Iranian drug users seeking treatment through a general practice clinic in Iran.     

Patterns of drug use and associated harms among rural injecting drug users: comparisons with metropolitan injecting drug users

OBJECTIVE: Given the harms associated with injecting drug use to both individuals and community and the paucity of such data from rural areas, the study aimed to compare: patterns of drug use, harms, and service access and utilisation among rural and metropolitan injecting drug users (IDU). DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey, using interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and sixty-four rural and 96 metropolitan IDU from seven different New South Wales Area Health Services, recruited through needle and syringe programs (NSPs), snowballing techniques and advertisement. RESULTS: Age, gender, education and employment were similar for rural and metropolitan participants. Both samples reported use of a range of drugs, but rural participants were less likely than metropolitan participants to report daily heroin use (2% vs 10%), but more likely to report having injected morphine (50% vs 21%) in the last six months. Similar proportions reported using a needle/syringe after another person. Rural participants were less likely to report use of NSPs (36% vs 80%) and reported a number of barriers to NSP access and also to drug treatment services. Rural participants reported a significantly longer period of time between blood-borne virus testing. CONCLUSION: Samples of rural IDU are similar to metropolitan, although report some differences in patterns of drug use. Service provision, including access to new injecting equipment, blood-borne virus testing and drug treatment was found to cause considerable problems for rural IDU. These issues warrant further consideration.     

ICU常见革兰阴性菌的耐药性与抗菌药物使用强度相关性研究

目的研究ICU常见革兰阴性菌的耐药性与常用抗菌药物使用强度的关系,为ICU抗菌治疗的药物选择提供参考,促进抗菌药物的合理应用。方法分析2010年7月-2014年6月ICU检出前5位革兰阴性菌的耐药率和前5位抗菌药物的使用强度变化,并对这两部分数据进行相关性分析。结果 5年ICU铜绿假单胞菌和鲍氏不动杆菌对亚胺培南的耐药率分别为50.2%、52.5%、45.9%、53.1%、58.9%和74.2%、76.3%、71.1%、84.1%、90.0%,两者对亚胺培南的耐药性与使用强度正相关(r=0.900、P<0.05和r=0.900、P<0.05);大肠埃希菌和洋葱伯克霍尔德菌对左氧氟沙星的耐药率分别为83.3%、80.3%、58.2%、70.6%、82.1%和79.3%、70.3%、39.4%、69.9%、80.6%,两者对左氧氟沙星的耐药率与使用强度正相关(r=1.000、P<0.05和r=0.900、P<0.05)。结论亚胺培南和左氧氟沙星的使用与常见革兰阴性菌对其耐药性有关,ICU需要对抗菌药物加强管理,减少细菌耐药的产生。     

Development of effective teaching strategies on drug information for teenagers

A pilot study was carried out to compare two methods of teaching teenage girls about aspirin use. Both individual and group instruction were effective in increasing knowledge after the intervention. Individual instruction appeared to result in better retention of knowledge six weeks later, although the difference in test scores was not significant. The pilot study helped to identify deficiencies in research methods and instruments, which will be revised before we undertake a larger scale study.     

Family structure, parent-child relationships, and alcohol and other drug use among teenagers in France and the United Kingdom

This paper compares samples of 15-16-year-olds from the UK and France on their usage of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs and also seeks to describe the associations between alcohol and other drug use with "family variables" within the two countries. Compared to UK adolescents, French adolescents showed a slightly higher rate of cigarette smoking, were almost identical on cannabis use, rather lower on the use of other illicit drugs and very considerably lower on alcohol use. Family variables were related to substance use. In the two countries, children from non-intact families, those who were not satisfied with their relationships with their father or mother and those who were less closely monitored, were more likely to be heavy substance users than other students. Logistic regressions showed that parental knowledge of the whereabouts of their offspring on Saturday evenings was the strongest factor, in both countries, that family structure is frequently still significant in the UK, and that paternal relationships are highly significant among French students. Differences in national drinking culture, urbanization and parental practices are discussed in an attempt to interpret some of these findings.     

Race-specific patterns of abortion use by American teenagers.

Between 1972 and 1978, as legal abortion became more widely available nationally, abortion rates (abortions per 1,000 women) and ratios (abortions per 1,000 live births) increased for all American teenagers; from 1972 to 1975, the rates and ratios for teenagers for Black and other races increased faster than those for White teenagers. For all seven years, abortion rates were higher for teenagers of Black and other races than for white teenagers. This reflected both higher proportions of sexually active teenagers of Black and other races and a greater risk of pregnancy in these teenagers compared with White teenagers. Race-specific differences in legal abortion ratios narrowed during the seven-year interval, as did differences in alternative outcomes of teenage premarital pregnancies (term births, illegal abortions).     

Seat belt use among teenagers in two Israeli family practices

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of deaths among Israeli teenagers. Despite the efficacy of seat belt use in reducing mortality, and legislation requiring seat belt use in all car positions, a large proportion of Israeli adolescents do not consistently use seat belts. Differential data regarding front and rear seat belt use in this population are not available. The objective of this study was to determine the rates of front and rear seat belt use among a sample of Israeli teenagers in the primary care setting. Seventy-eight teenagers attending preventive adolescent health visits in two Israeli family practice clinics completed questionnaires that included questions regarding seat belt use. Structured counseling by the family nurse was provided following completion of the questionnaire. Sixty-four percent of the teenagers reported using front seat belts all of the time, while only 8% used rear seat belts all of the time. Infrequent or non-use of rear seat belts was more prevalent among 10th than among 7th graders. It is concluded that public health strategies in addition to legislation are needed to optimize seat belt use among Israeli teenagers. Health education regarding seat belt use--with an emphasis on rear seat belts--can and should be incorporated into adolescent preventive health visits in the primary care setting.     

Patterns of drug use among Cuban-American, African-American, and white non-Hispanic boys.

This study examined initiation into drug use during grade school years in a sample of Cuban-American, Black, and White non-Hispanic students in the greater Miami, Fla, area. Findings indicate that first use of alcohol occurs in fifth grade and cigarettes in sixth grade for all subgroups except White non-Hispanics, who peak in the fifth grade. White non-Hispanics had the highest life-time levels of alcohol and cigarette use. Foreign-born Cuban Americans had a lower lifetime prevalence of alcohol and cigarette use than US-born Cuban Americans. Higher acculturation level was related to first use of alcohol. One important implication of this study is that alcohol interventions should begin no later than third grade and smoking interventions no later than fourth grade.     

Patterns of contraceptive use in China

This article uses demographic and contraceptive use data from China's 1982 census, 1982 national fertility survey, and National Family Planning Commission to examine the country's patterns of reproductive and contraceptive behavior. Although China's fertility is near replacement level, it varies considerably among the country's subregions. One-half of all 15-49-year-old married fecund women who practice contraception are using intrauterine devices (IUDs); this means that about 70 percent of the world's IUD users are in China. Although China and the United States have similar overall contraceptive use rates, pronounced differences exist regarding the types of contraceptive methods used. Among China's subregions, contraceptive use rates vary considerably. The greater the percentage of minority groups in a subregion, the lower its contraceptive prevalence rate. The lower the proportion urban in an area, the greater the use of the IUD, except in areas with large numbers of minorities. Among the subregions, associations between urban/health variables and pill/condom use rates are strongly positive, and associations between urban/health variables and IUD use rates are strongly negative.     

Research on tobacco use among teenagers: ethical challenges

Recent increases in adolescent smoking portend upcoming public health challenges as the majority of smokers initiate long-term addiction during youth, but experience major health consequences later in life. To effectively address this important teenage and adult health issue, critical research information and early interventions are needed, yet conducting tobacco research with teen smokers poses substantial challenges, including several ethical dilemmas. This paper reviews some of the ethical issues presented in etiologic and clinical treatment research addressing adolescent smoking. Common problems and possible solutions are presented. Issues of parent/guardian involvement, decision-making ability of teens, the need to maintain confidentiality are discussed, along with the specific problems of recruitment, compensation, and ethical challenges that arise in group treatment settings. Context-specific ethical adjustments and alternative perspectives are likely to be needed if we are to overcome procedural difficulties in conducting teen smoking studies.     

Patterns of drug use from adolescence to young adulthood: II. Sequences of progression

Major pathways of progression among legal, illegal, and medically prescribed psychoactive drugs from adolescence to young adulthood are described. The data are based on a follow-up cohort of former adolescents representative of high school students in grades 10 and 11 in New York State who were reinterviewed nine years later at ages 24-25. Various models of progression are tested for their goodness of fit. The patterns formerly observed in adolescence involving progression from one class of legal drug (either alcohol or cigarettes) to marijuana to the use of other illicit drugs appear in the transitional period into young adult, with an additional stage, that of prescribed psychoactive drugs. Some differences appear between men and women, with cigarettes more important for women than for men in the total progression.