A cross-national comparison of the Twitter feeds of popular alcohol brands in India and Australia

Aims: To evaluate (i) the types of techniques alcohol marketers utilise to facilitate user engagement with content on leading Indian and Australian Twitter alcohol brand pages and (ii) the extent to which users engage with this content in two diverse national contexts.

Methods: The 10 alcohol brands per country with the greatest Twitter presence were identified based on the number of ‘followers’. Number of tweets, photos, and videos were collected and the type of content noted for each brand between 1 January 2016 and 29 February 2016. The data were analysed via an inductive coding approach using NVivo10.

Results: In total, the brands had accumulated up to 150,386 followers (Indian: 110,032; Australian: 40,354). The techniques utilised were a mix of those that differed by country (e.g. India: sexually suggestive content versus Australia: posts related to the brand’s tradition or heritage) and generic approaches (e.g. alcohol sponsorship of sport, music, and fashion; offering consumption suggestions; organising competitions; giveaways; and use of memes).

Conclusions: The flexibility of Twitter, which complements traditional marketing, allows brands to adapt and deliver their online alcohol content in specific national contexts and to capitalise on the cultural meanings users invoke in their interactions with the brands.     

Designed Cultural Adaptation and Delivery Quality in Rural Substance Use Prevention: an Effectiveness Trial for the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Keepin’ it REAL</Emphasis> Curriculum

This study examined how cultural adaptation and delivery quality of the school-based intervention keepin’ it REAL (kiR) influenced adolescent substance use. The goal of the study was to compare the effectiveness of the multi-cultural, urban (non-adapted) kiR intervention, a re-grounded (adapted) rural version of the kiR intervention and control condition in a new, rural setting. A total of 39 middle schools in rural communities of two states in the USA were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (i.e., control, non-adapted urban kiR, and adapted rural kiR). Data included adolescent self-reported lifetime substance use and observers’ ratings of delivery quality from video recordings of lessons. Ratings of delivery quality were used to create four comparison groups (i.e., low/high delivery quality in non-adapted/urban kiR condition and low/high quality in adapted/rural kiR condition). Controlling for substance use in the 7th grade, findings compared 9th graders’ (N?=?2781) lifetime alcohol, cigarette, marijuana, and chewing tobacco use. Mixed model analyses revealed that rural youth receiving the culturally adapted/rural curriculum reported significantly less cigarette use than rural youth in the control condition regardless of delivery quality. In the non-adapted/urban condition, youth receiving high delivery quality delivery reported less marijuana use than those receiving low delivery quality condition. However, substance use outcomes of youth receiving high and low delivery quality in the non-adapted intervention did not differ significantly from those the control group. Findings support the effectiveness of the culturally adapted/rural keepin’ it REAL curriculum for rural youth.     

Trends of Parent–Adolescent Drug Talk Styles in Early Adolescence

The present study seeks to understand how parents as prevention agents approach substance use prevention messages during the period of early adolescence. Students (N = 410) in a drug prevention trial completed surveys from 7th to 9th grade. Using longitudinal data, a series of latent transition analyses was conducted to identify major trends of parent–adolescent drug talk styles (i.e., never talked, situated direct, ongoing direct, situated indirect, and ongoing indirect) in control and treatment conditions. Findings demonstrate a developmental trend in drug talk styles toward a situated style of talk as youth transitioned from 7th grade to 9th grade. Findings also show that even though the drug prevention trial did not specifically target parental communication, parents in the treatment condition provide more ongoing substance use prevention messages to their adolescent children than do parents in the control condition. The present study discusses relevant developmental issues, potential intervention effects, and future research directions for communication research in substance use prevention.     

Anti‐smoking advertisements are perceived differently by smokers and individuals with health or advertising knowledge

Objective: Several studies have examined the characteristics of anti‐smoking advertisements that are associated with quitting behaviour. Some studies use researchers or graduate students to code advertisement characteristics, while others recruit smokers or members of the general public. The aim of this study was to assist future campaign development by assessing whether anti‐smoking advertisement characteristics are coded differently by smokers and ‘experts’ (individuals with knowledge of health promotion, public health or advertising). Methods: A total of 49 smokers and 42 experts coded anti‐smoking advertisements according to four key characteristics (emotional/cognitive approach, negative/positive tone, message frame, and main message) and the use of eight executional techniques. Chi‐squared tests were used to measure differences in coding outcomes between smokers and experts. Results: There were significant differences between smokers and experts in the coding of all key characteristics and four of the eight executional techniques. Compared with smokers, experts were more likely to perceive advertisements as negative in tone and as inducing fear. Conclusions: Smokers and experts perceived the characteristics of anti‐smoking advertisements differently. Implications for public health: Differences between smokers and experts may need to be taken into account where studies use either of these groups to code advertisements for campaign development or evaluation purposes.     

Australian drinkers’ perceptions of alcohol-related risk by consumption status

Background: This study investigated Australian drinkers’ alcohol-related beliefs according to their alcohol risk status. The primary aims were to assess drinkers’ awareness of the association between alcohol consumption and a range of health consequences and their understanding of the degree of risk represented by their own alcohol consumption.

Method: An online survey was administered to 2168 drinkers who consume alcohol at least twice per month. Respondents reported their alcohol intake levels and their beliefs relating to the relationship between alcohol and shorter-term (proximal) risks (e.g., drink-driving) and longer-term (distal) risks (e.g., stroke and cancer).

Results: Just over half (52%) of those drinking at high or very high risk levels did not perceive their drinking to be harmful. A large majority (85%) of the sample was aware of various short-term risks of excessive alcohol consumption, but only half appeared aware of the association between alcohol consumption and more distal health conditions.

Conclusions: The relatively low levels of awareness of the alcohol–disease link and the weak relationship between perceived risk and alcohol consumption levels suggest that attempts to reduce current high levels of alcohol-related harm could include public education campaigns designed to (i) improve drinkers’ understanding of the prevalence of alcohol-related harms upon which current alcohol guidelines are based, (ii) prompt drinkers to review their intake levels in the light of the guidelines to assess their potential risk of harm, and (iii) make alcohol-related risks more salient to every-day consumption decisions.     

Nothing beats taste or convenience: a national survey of where and why people buy sugary drinks in Australia

Objective : There is limited knowledge of what influences sugary drink purchasing decisions in the Australian population. This study aimed to identify the most common locations and reasons across different demographic groups for purchasing sugary drinks in Australia. Methods : A total of 891 respondents (who purchased sugary drinks for personal consumption at least occasionally) from a broader national population telephone survey of Australian adults conducted in 2017 (n=3,430) were included in the analysis. Results : ‘Taste’ was a ubiquitous reason for purchase (94%) and the majority also agreed with ‘easily available’ (76%). Males, younger people and people of lower socioeconomic status (SES) were significantly more likely to agree that sugary drinks were ‘cheap’ and ‘better value than water’. Furthermore, males and younger people were more likely to report buying sugary drinks because they were ‘part of a meal deal’. The most common purchase locations were supermarkets (56%), followed by convenience stores (19%) and food or entertainment venues (17%). Conclusion : Taste is paramount in decisions to purchase sugary drinks, and widespread availability and value for money support consumption. Implications for public health : Policies and interventions targeting point‐of‐sale sugary drink purchasing decisions among the most ‘at risk’ consumers are warranted.     

The extent and nature of alcohol advertising on Australian television

Introduction and Aims. Current alcohol guidelines in Australia recommend minimising alcohol consumption, especially among minors. This study investigated (i) the extent to which children and the general population are exposed to television advertisements that endorse alcohol consumption and (ii) the themes used in these advertisements. Design and Methods. A content analysis was conducted on alcohol advertisements aired over two months in major Australian cities. The advertisements were coded according to the products that were promoted, the themes that were employed, and the time of exposure. Advertising placement expenditure was also captured. Results. In total, 2810 alcohol advertisements were aired, representing one in 10 beverage advertisements. Advertisement placement expenditure for alcohol products in the five cities over the two months was $15.8 million. Around half of all alcohol advertisements appeared during children's popular viewing times. The most common themes used were humour, friendship/mateship and value for money. Discussion and Conclusions. Children and adults are regularly exposed to advertisements that depict alcohol consumption as fun, social and inexpensive. Such messages may reinforce existing alcohol-related cultural norms that prevent many Australians from meeting current intake guidelines.[Pettigrew S, Roberts M, Pescud M, Chapman K, Quester P, Miller C. The extent and nature of alcohol advertising on Australian television. Drug Alcohol Rev 2012;31:797-802].     

Kinetic analysis of blood-brain barrier transport of D-glucose in man: quantitative evaluation in the presence of tracer backflux and capillary heterogeneity

The present study deals with the analysis of double-indicator curves for blood-brain barrier studies. Two mathematical models which provide for the estimation of backflux of tracer from brain to blood in conjunction with heterogeneity of the cerebral capillary and large-vessel transit times were used for the analysis of D-glucose transport on the basis of cerebral venous outflow curves. The two models, non-mixed and well mixed, arise from differing assumptions regarding the effective region surrounding the capillary lumen. An approximate solution for the well-mixed model was developed to increase computation speed. Fourteen D-glucose outflow curves and their reference curves were obtained from nine patients and subsequently analyzed by the two models. Further, in five patients data were obtained under different physiological conditions: normal, decreased, and increased cerebral blood flow rates. The results support the appropriateness of the well-mixed model and heterogeneity of the cerebral capillary transit times. The median value for the average extraction was 0.18 and the median distribution space was 0.14. The latter value is similar to the brain extracellular space that has been estimated by other methods. The extraction values calculated from the peak of the venous outflow curves were significantly smaller than the whole-brain average extraction values estimated with the well-mixed model (0.157 vs 0.178, P less than 0.0005). In summary: (a) capillary heterogeneity is present in the human brain and changes with cerebral blood flow; (b) after crossing the blood-brain barrier, D-glucose distributes in the brain extracellular fluid; and (c) the extraction curve is significantly influenced by backflux.     

The effect of nicardipine on neuronal function following ischemia

In cerebral ischemia, it has been proposed that calcium influx into neurons results in irreversible cellular injury during reperfusion. We administered nicardipine, a dihydropyridine calcium entry blocker, by continuous subcutaneous infusion to twenty five rats beginning before (PR) or following (PO) ischemia, and compared somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) to twenty eight ischemic control animals. Comparable ischemic cellular changes were seen in the hippocampi of all animals. SEP amplitude was higher in both the PR (p less than .005) and PO (p less than .0005) groups compared to controls. This effect was found in all three components (P1, N1, P2) of the evoked response. Plasma nicardipine levels of 6-10 ng/ml were associated with mild hypotension. We conclude that nicardipine improved neuronal function as measured by SEPs when administered before or after ischemia, most likely by interrupting the cytotoxic events occurring in cortical neurons during reperfusion.