Structure of Drug Use and Drug Definition among Youth

Five thousand West-German soldiers anwered a questionnaire on personal drug use, evaluation of substances regarding their being drugs, and illness-value ascribed to heavy drug use. A partial correspondence between the structures of drug use and drug definition was found. Beer and wine consumption were clearly differentiated. Mentally, cannabis and hard liquor were placed on comparable levels. A wholesale approach to alcohol consumption, and exclusive categorization of cannabis as a fashion drug, lumped together with hallucinogens and opiates. seem unwarranted.     

Calidad de vida en personas con depresión y comorbilidad física desde una perspectiva de género

ObjetivoEl objetivo del estudio es describir la percepción de la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud de personas con depresión y comorbilidad física bajo una perspectiva de género. Se incluyeron 380 individuos mayores de 49 años con, al menos, una patología de las siguientes: diabetes, enfermedad obstructiva pulmonar crónica y cardiopatía isquémica, reclutadas en 31 equipos de atención primaria de Cataluña. La calidad de vida se midió con la escala EuroQol (EQ-5D). Además, se recogieron variables sociodemográficas, gravedad de depresión, índice de privación económica y ámbito de residencia. Se evaluó la relación ajustada entre el sexo y las dimensiones de calidad de vida, mediante una regresión logística multivariante.ResultadosEl 81,3% fueron mujeres; la media de edad fue de 68,4 años (DE: 8,8), La media de la escala visual analógica fue de 57,8 (DE: 17,4) en hombres y 55,8 (DE: 18,6) en mujeres. La media del EQ-Health Index fue de 0,74 (DE: 0,17) en hombres y 0,65 (DE: 0,21) en mujeres (p = 0,001). La probabilidad de presentar problemas en las dimensiones del EQ-5D mostró el sexo como factor de más peso (mujer = 1/hombre = 0) en: autocuidado OR: 2,29 (IC 95% 1,04 a 5,07) y actividades cotidianas OR: 3,09 (IC 95% 1,67 a 5,71). La movilidad se asoció con la edad OR: 1,87 (IC 95% 1,22 a 2,86), el ámbito de residencia con el dolor OR: 2,51 (IC 95% 1,18 a 5,34) y el Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) con la ansiedad/depresión OR: 4,77 (IC 95% 1,77 a 12,88).ConclusiónLa percepción en la calidad de vida de las mujeres con depresión y comorbilidad física es inferior a la de los hombres, siendo en ambos casos inferior a la de población general.Palabras clave: Calidad de vida, Depresión, Comorbilidad física, Género, Atención Primaria     

Gender differences in the modifiable risk factors associated with the presence of prediabetes: A systematic review

BackgroundPrediabetes is a risk state for the future development of type 2 diabetes. Previously, it was evident that the risk factors for diabetes differ by gender. However, conclusive evidence regarding the gender difference in modifiable risk factors associated with the presence of pre-diabetes is still lacking.AimsTo systematically identify and summarize the available literature on whether the modifiable risk factors associated with prediabetes displays similar relationship in both the genders.MethodsA systematic search was performed on electronic databases i.e. PubMed, EBSCOhost, and Scopus using “sex”, “gender”, “modifiable risk factors” and “prediabetes” as keywords. Reference list from identified studies was used to augment the search strategy. Methodological quality and results from individual studies were summarized in tables.ResultsGender differences in the risk factor association were observed among reviewed studies. Overall, reported association between risk factors and prediabetes apparently stronger among men. In particular, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, smoking and alcohol drinking habits were risk factors that showed prominent association among men. Hypertension and poor diet quality may appear to be stronger among women. General obesity showed stringent hold, while physical activity not significantly associated with the risk of prediabetes in both the genders.ConclusionsEvidence suggests the existence of gender differences in risk factors associated with prediabetes, demands future researchers to analyze data separately based on gender. The consideration and the implementation of gender differences in health policies and in diabetes prevention programs may improve the quality of care and reduce number of diabetes prevalence among prediabetic subjects.     

The effect of a situation model nursing education action program on gender-bias awareness and gender-friendliness barriers in novice nursing students

AimThis study presents a workshop on the Situation Model Nursing Education Action program, examines how to promote gender awareness and decrease barriers related to differences in gender friendliness through the implementation of this program and tracks the trends of the relevant variables.DesignPre- and post-observations and a cohort study were conducted.MethodsA total of 58 nursing students (42 females and 16 males) were included. Nursing students were offered a gender-care intervention as two 90-minute workshops and surveys that measure gender awareness and gender friendliness were administered.ResultsThe results concerned gender-bias awareness and gender-friendliness barriers scores across the four weeks of the program intervention, with the generalized estimated difference score compared with the Week 1 baseline. Mean student scores showed that gender-bias awareness was significantly decreased at Week 2 (p < .001) and Week 4 (p < .001) and that mean gender-friendliness barrier scores significantly declined at Week 4 (p < .001).ConclusionsThe findings indicate that a faculty professional learning community workshop that facilitates intentional behavioral change can help faculty to become aware of gender bias, which can improve students’ gender awareness through clinical case discussion and lead to a decline in barriers to students’ gender friendliness.     

Sex-discrete role of depressive symptomatology on 10-year first and recurrent cardiovascular disease incidence: results from ATTICA and GREECS prospective studies

ObjectiveThe sex-specific effect of depressive symptomatology on 10-year first and recurrent cardiovascular disease (CVD) events was evaluated.MethodsThe Greek samples from ATTICA (2002-2012, n = 845 free-of-CVD subjects) and GREECS (2004-2014, n = 2,172 subjects with acute coronary syndrome (ACS)) prospective epidemiological studies with baseline psychological assessments were used for the first and the recurrent event, respectively. Depressive symptomatology was assessed at baseline, through Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale in the ATTICA study, and through the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale in the GREECS study.ResultsACS as well as free-of-CVD women scored significantly higher for depressive symptomatology. Men scored higher than women against first (19.7% vs. 11.7%) and subsequent CVD events (38.8% vs. 32.9%). In participants with depressive symptoms man-to-woman first and recurrent CVD event rate ratio was below 1, confirming that depressive women were more likely to have a CVD event than depressive men. Multiadjusted analysis revealed that depressive symptomatology had an independent aggravating effect on the first (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.72, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.50, 9.12) and recurrent (HR = 1.31, 95% CI 1.01, 1.69) CVD events only in women. Mediation analysis in women revealed that 35% (23%, 44%) of excess first-CVD-event risk of depressive symptoms was attributed to conventional risk factors. The respective number for recurrent CVD events was 46% (23%, 53%); different patterns of ranking regarding the mediating effect corresponding to each adjustment factor were observed.ConclusionsThe present work augments prior evidence that psychological stressors possess important drivers of CVD onset and progression mainly in women, while it gives rise to research toward unidentified paths behind this claim.     

Differences by gender in completed suicides in a Mexican population: A psychological autopsy study

ObjectiveUsing the method of psychological autopsy, we identified differences by gender in socio-demographic aspects, signs and symptoms, and suicide characteristics in a population of the state of Tabasco. Mexico.MethodsBetween the years 2007–2014, 182 psychological autopsies were documented by the Secretary of Health of the State of Tabasco, Mexico. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demographic aspects and suicide characteristics.ResultsThe sample was mainly formed by males (78%). 84% of the sample used hanging as suicide method. However, in comparison with the male group, females were older on the average (p = 0.002); they were mostly housewives (37.5%) and had more years of schooling (p = 0.004). Other significant differences predominantly present in the male group were: the use of alcohol at the time of suicide (52.1%), job retirement, and increases in apathy (50.7%) and aggressiveness (36.6%) (p < 0.05).ConclusionOur results suggest that there are differences by gender between subjects with completed suicide. Factors such as alcohol consumption, job retirement, aggressiveness and isolation/social apathy certainly render men more vulnerable to suicide in the Mexican population.     

不同性别骨性Ⅱ类无鼾青少年患者的上气道、舌骨及牙颌软硬组织差异性研究

目的:比较不同性别12～16岁青少年上气道、舌骨及牙颌软硬组织差异及其相关性，为临床制定具有性别差异的诊疗参考。方法:选择70例骨性Ⅱ类青少年患者，男女比例为1∶1，年龄、垂直骨面型严格匹配。用Invivo 5进行三维重建并测上气道、舌骨及牙颌软硬组织指标，进行独立样本 t检验及Pearson相关性分析。 结果:男、女性患者舌咽体积分别为[(6.68±2.71) cm 3、(5.36±1.73) cm 3， P＝0.019]，男、女性患者舌骨垂直距离分别为[(101.56±16.72) mm、(92.44±19.11) mm, P＝0.037]，具有统计学意义。男、女性Y轴角、NP-FH、RH、PFH、AFH、FHR、OP-SN、IOB、U1-E、Sn-G均有统计学意义。男性上气道与颌骨有显著相关性，女性上气道与牙齿角度及软组织有显著相关性。 结论:男性舌咽体积更大，牙颌软硬组织趋向于 平面平整且上唇及颏部靠前的水平生长型。临床上制定不同性别的诊疗方案时，男性趋向于着重考虑颌骨指标对上气道及舌骨的影响，女性着重考虑牙性指标对上气道及舌骨的影响，旨在逐步建立反映不同性别患者特征的颌骨及牙性指标，为预判不同性别患者治疗后上气道形态及舌骨位置的改变提供一定参考依据。     

Impacto de los grupos socioeducativos de atención primaria en la salud mental de las mujeres

ObjectiveTo present part of the results of the evaluation of this strategy.MethodLongitudinal (pre-post) and quasi-experimental (experimental and control group) design, collecting information from 228 women (114 each group) in four moments (one month before the program; one month after the end of the program; six months and a year and a half). Among the instruments used are the Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale.ResultsWomen in the experimental group reduce their symptoms of depression and anxiety and improve their self-esteem after participating in the program, and this improvement is maintained until a year and a half after the end of it. On the contrary, women in the control group do not present pre-post differences in almost none of the variables analyzed (except in anxiety symptoms).ConclusionThese results support GRUSE as a non-medical intervention, and it is considered that they can serve as a stimulus to maintain the strategy and even extend it to other population groups that also experience psychosocial discomfort.