Comparison of three data collection methodologies for the study of young illicit drug users

Abstract: Three data collection methods (street-intercept, telephone ring-in and focus-group discussions) were compared for their feasibility, reliability, validity and cost. The subjects of investigation were drug-related behaviours, attitudes and knowledge among current illicit drug users aged 16 to 21 years in Sydney. All three methods were found to be feasible and to produce reliable and valid information. Few differences in the demographic make-up and drug-use profiles of the samples were evident. The main differences between the data collections related to cost and the type of information obtained. The street-intercept method was the cheapest per completed interview and the focus-group method was the most expensive. Focus-group discussions were considered a valuable adjunct to the surveys because they facilitated an understanding of the quantitative survey results. It was concluded that the street-intercept method is the preferred survey method because of its lower cost and lower susceptibility to volunteer bias compared to the telephone ring-in. For repeated data collection to monitor changes in drug use patterns, street-intercept surveys in combination with focus-group discussions are recommended.     

新型女用安全套的使用性能调查研究

目的:评估新型女用安全套的使用性能及安全性。方法:2010年2月在上海市普陀区、卢湾区、徐汇区及崇明县开展无对照的临床试验研究。共招募60对符合条件的夫妇,每对夫妇在1个月内使用4只新型女用安全套,每一只使用完后到指定地点接受随访,填写使用日志、调查表及不良反应事件表等。结果:60对夫妇中有59对完成随访,共使用234只安全套。其中2只被打开但未使用,总失败率0.85%,为非临床失败。总临床失败率为4.27%,其中错位率2.14%,内陷率0.85%,滑脱率是1.28%。有15例(6.41%)发生轻微不良反应,未发现严重不良事件。结论:本次调查的新型女用安全套使用性能良好,安全性高。     

Estimating the force of infection for HCV in injecting drug users using interval-censored data

Injecting drug users (IDUs) account for most new HCV infections. The objectives of this study were: to estimate the force of infection for hepatitis C virus in IDUs within the interval-censoring framework and to determine the impact of risk factors such as frequency of injection, drug injected, sharing of syringes and time of first injection on the time to HCV infection. We used data from the Amsterdam Cohort Study collected in The Netherlands and focused on those individuals who were HCV negative upon entry into the study. Based on the results, the force of infection was found to vary with time of first injection. The risk of infection was higher in the first 3 years of an IDU's career, implying estimates based on single cross-sectional studies could be biased. Frequency of injection and type of drug injected were found to be highly significant predictors, whereas sharing syringes was not.     

Food composition data: Identifying new uses,approaching new users

Food composition data (FCD) are fundamental for nutrition science and also extensively used in the public health domain. Advances in information technologies allowing rapid transmission of large data volumes likely will foster the development of new FCD uses and in the future FCD could be retrieved any time and location-independent (e.g. in supermarket and restaurants) through the use of mobile or stationary devices having incorporated Internet access. To achieve this, FCD need to be standardised and available on the Internet, two requirements towards which the Network of Excellence EuroFIR has already substantially contributed. The technology needed for the implementation of FCD into innovative interfaces, either mobile or stationary, is already available and allows for sufficiently rapid data transfer. Improved data coverage and quality as well as standardised availability and accessibility, allowing easier data interchange, will further facilitate new FCD uses providing a maximum of user-relevant data and meeting users’ requirements. Next to classical uses, FCD could also easily be incorporated to a greater extent in educational or entertainment tools, which would respond to the call of the World Health Organization and European Commission for the dissemination and development of new activities in the fields of nutrition, physical activities and health.