Survey of Alcohol and Other Drug Use Attitudes and Behaviors in Nursing Students

ABSTRACT

Statewide nursing student alcohol and other drug (AOD) use attitudes and behaviors were assessed. Response was 929/2017 (46%) (practical nursing [n = 173/301] 57.3%; diploma and associate degree in nursing [n = 282/417] 67.6%; bachelor of science in nursing [n = 474/1299] 36.5%). Nearly 44% reported inadequate substance abuse education. Past-year AOD use included tobacco 36.9%, marijuana 6.8%, sedatives 4.6%, and opioids 2.6%. Past-year AOD-related events included blackouts 19.8%, class/work under the influence 6.3%, patient care under the influence 3.9%, lowered grades/job evaluations 6.6%, and legal charges 3.6%. Heavy drinking was reported by 28.9%. Practical nursing (PN) students most often reported tobacco use and sedative use, whereas Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) students most often reported marijuana use. Family histories of alcohol-related problems and drug-related problems were reported, respectively, by 48.1% and 19.2% of respondents; 51.1% reported at least one of these. PN students most often reported such family histories. Nursing educational systems should proactively address student AOD prevention, education, and assistance.     

Association Between Using Smartphone Dating Applications and Alcohol and Recreational Drug Use in Conjunction With Sexual Activities in College Students

Background: The association between using smartphone dating applications (apps) and substance use in conjunction with sexual activities was only examined in homosexual men. This association was poorly understood in heterosexual samples. Objective: To explore the association between using dating apps and alcohol, and use of recreational drug in conjunction with sexual activities in college students. Design: 666 students from four universities in Hong Kong were recruited in this cross-sectional study in the year 2015. Outcome measures included the use of dating apps, sexual history, and drug and alcohol use. Multivariable logistic regressions were employed. Results: The use of dating apps for more than 1 year was found to be associated with recreational drug use in conjunction with sexual activities (adjusted odds ratio: 7.23). Other risk factors of recreational drug use in conjunction with sexual activities included being bisexual/homosexual male, a smoker, and having one's first sexual intercourse at the age of less than 16 years. The use of dating apps was not a risk factor for alcohol consumption in conjunction with sexual activities. Risk factors for alcohol consumption in conjunction with sexual activities included being older, having monthly income more than HKD5,000, and a smoker. Furthermore, risk factors for alcohol consumption in conjunction with the last sexual activity included currently being in a dating relationship, a smoker, and having sex with a casual partner. Conclusions: Using dating apps is an emerging risk factor of drug misuse. Interventions for practising safe sex and preventing drug use should be targeted at dating app users.     

Patterns of Drug Use Among Drug Misusers in Sweden. Gender Differences

The goal of the article is to provide information about polydrug abuse and drug misuse patterns in Sweden among women and men. The data has been taken from a 1998 national survey of “Heavy”/severe drug misuse in Sweden, project “MAX-98” (). The drug misusers were reported by various government agencies, including health services, social services, police, and correctional treatment facilities on a special form. One of the significant gender differences that emerged was that a greater percent of the women in the survey used and injected amphetamines, injected opiates, and used tranquilizers/sedatives, while a greater percent of the men smoked cannabis, smoked heroin, and misused alcohol. Furthermore, the most common combinations for both genders was amphetamines + cannabis, followed by amphetamines + heroin + cannabis. Alcohol played a large role for the narcotics users. Heroin as a primary drug has grown in the age groups under 35. The trends document that the use of ecstasy as well as chemical CNS-stimulating/hallucinogenic drugs has grown, that polydrug use has increased compared with earlier surveys, and that the methods of ingestion have changed. It is therefore more precise today to speak of different types of polydrug users than about users of exclusively one drug.     

Comparison of Government and Non-Government Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Treatment Service Delivery for the Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,and Transgender (LGBT) Community

Background: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations are more likely to misuse alcohol and other drugs (AOD), compared to the general population. However, LGBT engagement with AOD treatment is often precluded by insensitivity and misunderstanding of LGBT issues. These treatment barriers may be a consequence of either worker attitudes, organizational factors or a combination of both. Few studies have compared service context as an impediment to AOD treatment. Objectives: This pilot study sought to examine and compare staff attitudes, knowledge and awareness of LGBT issues in two state-wide AOD services within Australia. One organization was a government service, whilst the other was faith based. Methods: A cross-sectional study of a convenience sample (N = 130) of workers employed in a state-wide government AOD service (n = 65), and a state-wide non-government service (n = 65) was conducted. Participants self-completed a questionnaire comprising tools previously used to assess staff attitudes, knowledge and awareness of LGBT issues. Results: Few significant differences in attitudes and awareness of LGBT issues between government and non-government respondents were found. Nearly all respondents were supportive of LGBT persons irrespective of organizational context, with a small number of negative views. Although most respondents demonstrated awareness of organizational policies and practices relating to LGBT clients, many were “unsure” or “neutral” of what these might be. Conclusion: It is confirming that the majority of staff report supportive attitudes towards LGBT clients. Findings suggest that organizations need to continue to take leadership to strengthen organizational training and capacity to deliver LGBT friendly AOD treatment practices.     

Alcohol Use and Misuse among Hispanic Women: Selected Factors,Processes, and Studies

Two perspectives have dominated the study of social problems: the objec-tivist and the constructionist. The objectivist approach defines social problems by the concrete, scientifically-measurable damage conditions cause, or the objective dangers they pose, to human life. The constructionist approach defines social problems by the public concern that conditions or issues generate. Constructionists often exaggerate the discrepancies that exist between the objective and the subjective dimensions-that is, for specific conditions, they argue that objectively damaging conditions may generate little or no concern, or that public concern erupts over a condition that may be stable or actually declining in objective seriousness. The American drug crisis or panic of the 1980s is used as a specific issue or condition to illuminate the viability of these two approaches. Some constructionists have minimized the objective harm caused or threat posed by drug misuse during this period, and argue that it actually diminished during the course of the 1980s, while public concern erupted. Using concrete indicators, I show that, although public concern did indeed increase dramatically, in fact, key indicators point to a concomitant increase in drug misuse during this decade, even though use indicators are actually down. While not minimizing the importance of the construction of social problems, I suggest that something of a synthesis of the objective and the subjective approaches may be necessary to understanding social problems.     

我院门诊处方点评及用药分析

目的对我院2007年8月-2008年7月门诊处方进行抽样分析,了解我院门诊处方书写质量及门诊用药基本情况和存在的问题。方法采用回顾性分析,每月抽查10名门诊医师处方进行统计分析,并按《处方管理办法》进行审查。结果处方书写质量有较大提高,处方用药品种数、抗茵药物使用率和平均处方费用有所下降。结论应进一步重视处方规范化书写,加强合理用药。     

Alcohol and Other Drug Use Disorders Among Homeless People in Australia

This paper describes alcohol and drug-use disorders among 210 homeless people in Australia, and compares the Australian findings with the international literature. While the prevalence of alcohol-use disorders among people who are homeless in Australia is comparable with other international studies, drug-use disorders appear to be more prevalent among Australian homeless than comparable international studies. Reasons for this difference are explored.     

Changes in Drug Use Among Belgian Higher Education Students: A Comparison Between 2005, 2009, and 2013

Background: Most drug users initiate illicit drug use during adolescence and young adulthood. Although in the general population a trend towards a decrease in drug use can be seen, patterns of drug use among students are unclear. Objectives: The objective of the study was to look at drug use patterns among students in higher education in Belgium. Methods: A survey study in Antwerp (Belgium) was conducted on three occasions (2005, 2009, and 2013) at several institutes for higher education. Students (total sample size 24,478; 29,210, and 31,950, respectively) were asked if they had used legal or illicit drugs in the past year. To compare whether drug use differed between the separate years, χ²-tests were performed on past-year drug use for all three time points. If significant, χ²-tests between pairs were performed. Gender and age differences were also analyzed. Results: The use of nondistilled alcohol, spirits, and cannabis decreased during this period but no change in student's use patterns was seen for beer, wine, sedative hypnotics, stimulating medication, XTC, cocaine, or amphetamines. Tobacco use decreased initially, but increased in 2013. More men indicated having used drugs in the past year than women. Only for cannabis did more younger students indicate having used in the past year. Conclusions/Importance: The data from this study could provide valuable insights for academic and governmental bodies and health care professionals into the use of drugs by higher education students since this subgroup shows specific use patterns.     

我院13000张门诊处方点评与用药合理性分析

目的 通过对医院门诊处方进行点评和用药分析,促进临床合理用药.方法 抽取2010年5月至2011年5月医院门诊处方13 000张,对相关指标进行回顾性定量评价与分析.结果 每张处方平均用药品种数由2.82种降为2.15种,抗茵药使用率由33.30%降至27.20%,注射剂使用率由23.00%降至16.10%,不合理用药比例由10.70%降至6.30%.结论 采取多种处方点评干预措施后,合理用药整体水平得到提高.     

Physicians' Assessment of Drug Use and Other HIV Risk Behavior: Reports by Female Drug Users

SUMMARY

With epidemiological trends indicating that Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is the third leading cause of death among women ages 25 to 44 in the United States, it is becoming increasingly important to deal with the issue of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention for women. Recommendations for primary and secondary prevention strategies tailored to the needs of women have been formulated. Such calls have included the recommendation that prevention efforts be intensified in medical settings regularly frequented by women. One setting identified is that of gynecological and obstetric services where HIV risk assessment, testing, and counseling would be an excellent means of reaching a maximum number of women of child-bearing age. Despite calls by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for OB/ GYN service providers to engage in HIV prevention, research has shown that physicians remain reluctant to address the issue with patients. This study explored the likelihood of physicians and other health service providers to engage in HIV prevention through risk behavior assessment, HIV testing, and HIV counseling by requesting information from female drug abusers not currently in substance abuse treatment. Sixty percent of the drug abusing women in this study did not receive HIV information from their health care provider, 70% did not receive HIV counseling, 68% were not offered HIV testing, and 66% were not asked to provide a drug history. Of those participants who had not been asked to provide a drug history, almost half indicated that they would have been willing to provide truthful answers had they been asked. These findings indicate that a prime opportunity for HIV prevention is being missed by women's health care providers. Neglecting to ask female patients about their drug use history and to explore their risk for HIV infection can have dire consequences for these women. Early intervention is less likely if the topic is not broached by service providers, increasing the likelihood of infection and the spread of the disease.     

Patterns of Substance Use among Students Meeting Lifetime DSM-III Criteria for Alcohol Misuse

A cross-sectional survey of 989 college students was conducted to investigate substance use patterns between students meeting lifetime DSM-III alcohol misuse criteria and students not meeting misuse criteria. Students meeting alcohol misuse criteria (n = 294) reported a significantly greater history of lifetime substance use and were more likely to have used marijuana in the 6 months prior to the receipt of the questionnaire. No significant differences in the frequency of substance use within the 6-month period were indicated between the two student groups with the exception of marijuana. Students meeting lifetime DSM-III alcohol misuse criteria also reported having experimented with marijuana at an earlier age.     

Tobacco,Alcohol, and Illicit Drug Use among Mexican-American and Non-Hispanic White High School Student

This study examined the prevalence, age of initiation, and pattern of substance use among 1,617 Mexican-American and non-Hispanic White high school students residing within the same geographic community. Ethnic differences were present for current smoking, having used alcohol in the past month, “heavy drinking” per occasion, and ever used marijuana. Age of initiation of substance use and the pattern of use was similar for the two ethnic groups. Future research needs to determine if the progression of initiation represents a sequence of initiation, identify factors that influence movement along the sequence, and determine if there are ethnic differences.

En este estudio se investigó la ocurrencia, edad de iniciación y patrón de uso de tabaco, alcohol, mariguana y cocaína en una población de 1617 estudiantes de bachillerato méxicoamericanos y otros que no eran de origen hispano, pero quo vivían en la misma comunidad geográfica. Las diferencias étnicas estaban presentes para el tabaquismo actual, consumo de bebidas alcohólicas en el último mes, consumo de bebidas alcohólicas en gran cantidad pero esporádicamente y uso de mariguana. La edad de iniciación y el patrón de uso reultó ser similar para ambos grupos étnicos. Las futuras investigaciones deberán determinar si el avance después de la iniciación representa una secuencia de iniciación e identificar factores que influyen en la movilidad dentro de la secuencia y determinar si hay diferencias étnicas.

Cette analyse examine la fréquence, l'àge de commencement et les habitudes de consommation chez les 1617 étudiants mexicains-américains et nonhispaniques des établissements d'ducation secondaire résidant dans une měme communauté géographique. Il existait des différences ethniques parmi ceux qui sont fumeurs, ceux qui avaient consommé de l'alcool pendant les trente jours, précédents, ceux qui buvaient en excés de façon sporadique et ceux qui avaient. fumé de la marijuana à un moment ou un autre. L'aˇge auquel ils ont commencé á consommer des produits illicites et les habitudes de consommation étaient les měmes pour les deux groupes ethniques. Dans l'avenir, la recherche devrait déterminer si la progression représente un enchaiˇnement de commencements et identifier les facteurs qui influencent la progression le long de la chaiˇne et déterminer s'il y a des différences ethniques.     

我院门诊处方基本指标评价及用药分析

目的对医院门诊处方合理用药进行国际指标调研分析,了解门诊处方抗菌药物使用情况,提高合理用药水平。方法采用回顾性分析方法,随机抽取医院2008年第4季度每月5个工作日的门、急诊处方并进行统计评价分析。结果门诊抗菌药物使用率为26.73%,注射剂使用率为11.15%,基本药物处方百分率为75.35%,单张处方金额主要集中在100～500元之间(占58.04%),抗菌药物的使用以单联为主(占78.06%),抗菌药物使用不合理处方占所有抗菌药物处方的11.28%。结论门诊处方用药基本合理,抗菌药物的选用还需进一步规范,以减少药品不良反应和耐药性的发生。     

Self-Reported Drug and Alcohol Use and Attitudes Toward Drug Testing in High Schools With Random Student Drug Testing

Many schools implement random student drug testing (RSDT) programs as a drug prevention strategy. This study analyzes self-report surveys of students in eight secondary schools with well-established RSDT programs, comparing students who understood they were subject to testing and students who understood they were not subject to testing. Students subject to testing reported significantly less marijuana and other illegal drug use than students in the same schools who were not subject to testing, and also had more positive attitudes toward testing. Alcohol use, which was not tested for in seven of the eight schools, did not differ between groups. This study provides evidence that awareness of eligibility for drug testing in schools with well-established RSDT programs is associated with lower rates of drug use.     

Drug Use and Suicidality Among Asian American Women Who Are Children of Immigrants

This study investigates the association between drug use and lifetime suicidal behaviors among Asian American women (n = 720) residing throughout Massachusetts, using data collected from 2010 to 2011. Logistic regression models identified that a history of hard drug use alone or in combination with soft drug use has a significant association with both suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among Asian American women, adjusting for demographic covariates, history of psychiatric diagnosis, and family communication. These findings highlight the importance of addressing hard drug use when designing suicide prevention programs for Asian American women.