Alcohol and other psychoactive substances in Africa and the Americas: results from the WHO Global School-based Student Health Survey

To measure health-related behaviours and risk factors among sub-Saharan African adolescents. Cross-sectional study in nine communities in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda between 2015 and 2017. Community-representative samples of males and females 10-19years of age were selected. All communities used a uniform questionnaire that was adapted from the WHO Global School-based Student Health Survey. Weighted prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each indicator and stratified by age and sex using SAS version 9.4. All prevalence estimates were pooled across communities through random-effects meta-analyses in Stata version 14. A total of 8075 adolescents participated in the study. We observed a high prevalence of inadequate fruit consumption (57-63%) and low physical activity (82-90%); a moderate prevalence of inadequate vegetable consumption (21-31%), unprotected last sex (38-45%), age at first sex <15years (21-28%) and bullying and physical fighting (12-35%); and a low prevalence of mental health risk factors (1-11%) and alcohol and substance use risk factors (0-6%). We observed a moderate to high prevalence of daily soft drink consumption (21-31%) for all adolescents. Among sexually active adolescents 15-19years, 37% of females reported ever being pregnant and 8% of males reported to have ever made someone pregnant. Bullying (23%) and physical fighting (35%) were more common among younger male adolescents . The prevalence of low mood was generally higher among older (15-19years) than younger adolescents (10-14years). The proportion of adolescents reporting alcohol, drug or cigarette use was very small, with the exception of khat use in Ethiopia. Overall, diet and physical activity, violence, sexual and reproductive health, and depression are important risk factors for these sub-Saharan African communities. These findings suggest that more evidence is needed including novel efforts for the collection of sensitive information, as well as a need to move towards community-tailored interventions to reach adolescent populations with varying needs.

Background: Alcohol is one of the most commonly abused psychoactive substances in the country. Studies have shown sharp increases in alcohol consumption among Nigerians. This increase is likely to continue because of increased local production and availability of alcohol in the country. Knowledge of the prevalence and pattern of current alcohol use is important considering the public health and socio-economic effects of alcohol use. Methods: Using a semi-structured questionnaire, we estimated the prevalence of current alcohol use among adults 18 years and older living in urban slums in Enugu South East Nigeria. Current use of alcohol was defined as use of any or all alcohol beverages in the past 4 weeks. The safe limit of alcohol was defined using WHO guidelines. Study duration was 5 months. Results: A total of 1411 individuals were recruited into the study. Males were 658 (46.6%) and females were 753 (53.4%). The overall prevalence of current use of alcohol was 66.7%; males 75.7% and females 58.8% (p Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of current alcohol use among urban slums in Enugu. Public health educational measures for reducing alcohol consumption should be encouraged. Efforts should be made to educate the populace on the need for abstinence.

BackgroundThe association between substance use including marijuana use and attempted suicide has been well documented. However, little is known about marijuana use and its association with attempted suicide repetition among...

BackgroundPsychoactive substance use becomes a major public health and socioeconomic problem worldwide. Despite its burden and consequences, there is no community-based study conducted on psychoactive substance use and associated factors in eastern Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude and determinants of current alcohol, tobacco, and khat among adults living in Harari regional state, eastern Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 955 adults living in Harari regional state. Participants were randomly recruited using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected by interviewer-administered structured and semi-structured questionnaires. Data were entered into Epi Data version 3.1 and exported to Stata version 14.0 for analysis. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between the outcome and independent variables, and the statistical significance was declared at a p < 0.5.ResultsOf 955 eligible participants, 95.29% participated in the study. The overall prevalence of current alcohol use, tobacco use, and khat use in this study was 8.24, 14.5, and 63.30%, respectively. The availability of alcohol, being unemployed, and being a current khat user were significantly associated with current alcohol use. Being male, having a low level of education, having peer pressure, having a common mental disorder, being a current alcohol user, and being a khat user were identified as significant predictors for current tobacco use. The age between 31 and 40 years, being a Muslim religion follower, being a farmer, being a current tobacco user, and availability of khat were significantly associated with current khat use.Conclusion and recommendationsThe prevalence of psychoactive substance use in the study area was relatively high compared with that of previous studies. By considering these determinants, screening, early identification, and developing appropriate intervention strategies to prevent and tackle current alcohol, tobacco, and khat use in the community should be of great concern.

Adverse childhood experiences and adult alcohol use during pregnancy - 41U.S. jurisdictions, 2019-2023.

BackgroundAlthough previous studies have provided data on early pandemic periods of alcohol and substance use in adolescents, more adequate studies are needed to predict the trends of alcohol and substance use during recent periods, including the mid-pandemic period. This study investigated the changes in alcohol and substance use, except tobacco use, throughout the pre-, early-, and mid-pandemic periods in adolescents using a nationwide serial cross-sectional survey from South Korea.MethodsData on 1,109,776 Korean adolescents aged 13–18 years from 2005 to 2021 were obtained in a survey operated by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. We evaluated adolescents’ alcohol and substance consumption prevalence and compared the slope of alcohol and substance prevalence before and during the COVID-19 pandemic to see the trend changes. We define the pre-COVID-19 period as consisting of four groups of consecutive years (2005–2008, 2009–2012, 2013–2015, and 2016–2019). The COVID-19 pandemic period is composed of 2020 (early-pandemic era) and 2021 (mid-pandemic era).ResultsMore than a million adolescents successfully met the inclusion criteria. The weighted prevalence of current alcohol use was 26.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 26.4–27.1] from 2005 to 2008 and 10.5% (95% CI 10.1–11.0) in 2020 and 2021. The weighted prevalence of substance use was 1.1% (95% CI 1.1–1.2) from 2005 to 2008 and 0.7% (95% CI 0.6–0.7) between 2020 and 2021. From 2005 to 2021, the overall trend of use of both alcohol and drugs was found to decrease, but the decline has slowed since COVID-19 epidemic (current alcohol use: βdiff 0.167; 95% CI 0.150–0.184; substance use: βdiff 0.152; 95% CI 0.110–0.194). The changes in the slope of current alcohol and substance use showed a consistent slowdown with regard to sex, grade, residence area, and smoking status from 2005 to 2021.ConclusionThe overall prevalence of alcohol consumption and substance use among over one million Korean adolescents from the early and mid-stage (2020–2021) of the COVID-19 pandemic showed a slower decline than expected given the increase during the prepandemic period (2005–2019).Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12519-023-00715-9.

Adolescence is a critical period marked by significant physical, emotional, and social changes. Concerns for adolescence mental health is an emerging global issue. Second to home, students spend a lot of time in school and amongst peers thus it is important to maintain a school environment conducive to optimal mental and physical health. The study aims to explore mental health concerns and their relationship with physical and cyber violence amongst high-school students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study using convenience sampling was conducted between April and October 2023 across five international schools in Jeddah. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire adapted from the WHO Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS), focusing on the mental health and violence modules. Descriptive statistics were reported, and Chi-square (χ²) tests were used to assess associations between variables. A total of 538 responses, 252 males and 286 female students participated in the study. Male students were significantly more associated with violence-related factors such as bullying whereas female students were more prone to loneliness (p < 0.001) and suicide attempts (p = 0.0016). Moreover, Saudi students were found to be more associated with cyberbullying and in-school bullying (p < 0.001). In conclusion, our analysis of mental challenges and violence risks highlights the need to foster a safer and healthier environment for high-school students. Counselling and surveillance for alarming behaviours with stronger mental health initiatives and policies are suggested to create a more robust school support system.

Self-rated health and life satisfaction are two subjective measures for assessing overall health status. This study aims to investigate the association of self-rated health and life satisfaction with physical activity and screen time. As part of the fourth survey of a national surveillance program in Iran (CASPIAN-IV study), 14 880 students aged 6 to 18 years were selected via multi-stage cluster sampling from 30 provinces. Data were obtained from the WHO Global School-Based Student Health Survey questionnaire. A total of 13 486 students with mean age of 12.47 (SD 3.36) completed the study. In crude model both prolonged screen time and physical activity were associated with favorable life satisfaction and self-rated health. However, in multivariate analysis only high physical activity was associated with good self-rated health (OR 1.37) and life satisfaction (OR 1.39), while prolonged screen time was not associated with good self-rated health (OR 1.02) and life satisfaction (OR 0.94). For combined screen time-physical activity variable, low screen time-high physical activity combination had the highest OR for both good self-rated health (OR 1.37) and life satisfaction (OR 1.43) in multivariate analysis. Our findings suggest that increasing physical activity is more crucial than emphasizing reducing screen time in improving the well-being of children and adolescents.

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical and Professional NewsFull AccessDrug-Use Data Reveal Some Progress But Also Alarming TrendsVabren WattsVabren WattsSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:3 Nov 2016https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2016.10a14AbstractThe 2015 National Survey on Drug Abuse and Health highlights improvements and areas of concern related to the current status of mental health and mental health care in the United States.While there has been a decline in alcohol and cigarette use among people aged 12 to 25 from 2014 to 2015, the incidence of mental illness has increased. Moreover, there continues to be a large disparity between the number of people who need substance use treatment and access it: of the 21.7 million people aged 12 and older who needed such treatment, only 3 million received it. These are the latest findings released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Abuse and Health (NSDUH).“The data paint a picture of great concern for our mental health care system and what is being delivered to people with mental health problems,” said SAMHSA Principle Deputy Administrator Kana Enomoto, M.A., at a press conference. “Our country must redouble its efforts to provide evidence-based prevention and treatment services in every community to ensure all Americans get the help and hope they need to lead healthy and productive lives.”The data were released during the 27th annual observance of National Recovery Month in September, a month dedicated to making the public aware that “behavioral health is essential to health, prevention works, treatment for substance use and mental disorders is effective, and people can and do recover from these disorders.” The survey included information from approximately 67,500 people throughout the country, aged 12 and older, who were surveyed on illicit drug use and mental health status within the past year. The survey found that overall rates for current (past month) cigarette smoking dropped from 20 percent in 2014 to 19.4 percent in 2015. The drop was even greater in people aged 12 to 25, from an average of 21.4 percent to 15.5 percent. Similar trends were observed pertaining to rates for alcohol use. Prevalence of current alcohol use among people 12 and older decreased from 52.7 percent in 2014 to 51.7 percent in 2015, and rates for alcohol use disorder decreased from 6.4 percent to 5.9 percent in the same period. Adolescents aged 12 to 17 had the largest decrease in current alcohol use, dropping from 11.5 percent to 9.6 percent from 2014 to 2015, while young adults aged 18 to 25 had the largest decrease in alcohol use disorder, from 12.3 percent to 10.9 percent.Marijuana use among people aged 12 and older remained relatively stable from 2014 to 2015, at about 8 percent. Levels of heroin use and cocaine use also remained stable compared with the previous year.For the first time, the NSDUH collected data on misuse of prescription painkillers and found that 3.8 million people aged 12 and older misused such drugs.“We know that evidence-based prevention efforts are the most effective way to reduce drug use,” said Michael Botticelli, director of National Drug Control Policy, at a press conference. “That is why the president has repeatedly called for $1.1 billion in new funding for states to expand access to treatment. Every day that passes without congressional action to provide these additional resources is a missed opportunity to save lives.”Botticelli emphasized that efforts to pressure Congress to expand such treatment is of utmost importance to those involved in mental health services.Regarding other types of mental illness, the NSDUH found that in 2015, 43.4 million (17.9 percent) adults aged 18 and older experienced some form of mental illness in the past year, with 9.8 million adults experiencing serious mental illness. These findings were comparable to 2014 data. There was a slight increase in rates for any mental illness among people aged 18 to 25, rising from 20.1 percent in 2014 to 21.7 percent in 2015. Young adults also had a slight uptick in depressive episodes, increasing from 9.3 percent in 2014 to 10.3 in 2015. An estimated 34.2 million adults aged 18 or older received mental health care in the past 12 months in 2015, including 6.4 million adults with past-year serious mental illness. “These findings emphasize the importance of intervening early to identify signs and symptoms of mental health problems,” said Enomoto. “Getting people to the treatment that they need as soon as possible is the right step toward treatment and recovery.” ■The NSDUH report can be accessed here. ISSUES NewArchived

Background:Alcohol-related ailments are among the 10 leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Bhutan. The objectives of this article were to determine the prevalence and explore the correlates of current alcohol use among Bhutanese adults.Materials and Methods:This is a retrospective study of secondary data from the National Health Survey 2012 of Bhutan. The outcome variable of interest was current alcohol use. The questionnaire was developed following the World Health Organization (WHO) STEPwise approach to Surveillance (STEPS) of noncommunicable diseases. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the correlates of current alcohol use. The prevalence of current alcohol use was 30.9%. The correlates of current alcohol use were male sex [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.85; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.47–2.36], widowhood (AOR = 2.92, 95% CI, 1.22–6.99), and chewing betel quid >20 times per week (AOR = 2.07, 95% CI, 1.08–4.03). Primary (AOR = 0.67, 95% CI, 0.50–0.91), high (AOR = 0.52, 95% CI, 0.38–0.71), and university (AOR = 0.46, 95% CI, 0.29–0.73) educated participants were less likely to be current alcohol users when compared with those who had no education. Compared with unskilled workers, services and sales workers were less likely to use alcohol regularly (AOR = 0.64, 95% CI, 0.49–0.82). Homemade alcohol Ara was the most common drink.Conclusion:The national prevalence of current alcohol use in Bhutan is higher than the national average in the WHO South-East Asia Region. Prevention should target the correlates and limit the availability of locally home-brewed Ara.

Alcohol use is attributed to more than 200 diseases and injury conditions. Recent conventional and genetic evidence is beginning to counter the benefit of moderate drinking. The prevalence of current alcohol use was 35.7% in 2007 among the Chinese population aged 18-69 years, but comparable estimations on a provincial-level has not been reported in China. The prevalence of current alcohol use in the preceding year was 41.3% among the Chinese population aged 18 years and above in 2015. The prevalence of current alcohol use and the average level of daily pure alcohol intake among drinkers showed clustered and diversified geographic distribution across provinces. Given diversified demographics and geographic characteristics of the current alcohol drinking population, the alcohol control policies and intervention strategies should be adopted at a provincial level to reduce alcohol-related mortality and disability.

Adolescence is a critical phase of development and is frequently a period of initiating and engaging in risky behaviors, including alcohol and other substance use. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated stressors might have affected adolescent involvement in these behaviors. To examine substance use patterns and understand how substance use among high school students changed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, CDC analyzed data from the nationally representative Youth Risk Behavior Survey. This report presents estimated prevalences among high school students of current (i.e., previous 30 days) alcohol use, marijuana use, binge drinking, and prescription opioid misuse and lifetime alcohol, marijuana, synthetic marijuana, inhalants, ecstasy, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and injection drug use and prescription opioid misuse. Trends during 2009–2021 were assessed using logistic regression and joinpoint regression analyses. Changes in substance use from 2019 to 2021 were assessed using prevalence differences and prevalence ratios, stratified by demographic characteristics. Prevalence of substance use measures by sexual identity and current co-occurring substance use were estimated using 2021 data. Substance use prevalence declined during 2009–2021. From 2019 to 2021, the prevalence of current alcohol use, marijuana use, and binge drinking and lifetime use of alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine and prescription opioid misuse decreased; lifetime inhalant use increased. In 2021, substance use varied by sex, race and ethnicity, and sexual identity. Approximately one third of students (29%) reported current use of alcohol or marijuana or prescription opioid misuse; among those reporting current substance use, approximately 34% used two or more substances. Widespread implementation of tailored evidence-based policies, programs, and practices likely to reduce risk factors for adolescent substance use and promote protective factors might further decrease substance use among U.S. high school students and is urgently needed in the context of the changing marketplaces for alcohol beverage products and other drugs (e.g., release of high-alcohol beverage products and increased availability of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl).

Introduction: Risky behavior among adolescents is a major public health problem in India and it affects health both at that time and in later years. Poor mental health is strongly related to other health and development concerns in young people notably lower educational achievements, substance abuse, and violence. The aim of this study is to assess the health risk behaviors of male school-going tribal adolescents from Jharkhand, India. Methodology: The present study is a cross-sectional descriptive study design. Schools were selected from rural areas of Ranchi district, Jharkhand. Sociodemographic data sheet and the Global School-based Student Health Survey were administered. Results: A total of 780 male students participated in the study. In the present study, 3.46% of the respondents have felt lonely always during the past 12 months, and 1.15% of the students have seriously considered attempting suicide. In this survey, the prevalence of current alcohol use among students (i.e., drinking at least one drink containing alcohol on one or more of the past 30 days) was 14.35%. In the school survey, it was found that during the past 30 days, 1.41% of the students have used marijuana (cannabis) 20 or more times. During the past 30 days, 18.46% of the students reported that they smoked cigarettes all 30 days. Conclusion: The finding of the study shows that mental health scenarios and high-risk behaviors are prevalent among adolescents from the tribal community; considering their social, religious, cultural, and economic backgrounds, adequate psychosocial intervention plans can be made for early identification and adequate intervention. This information might help policymakers, health professionals, and researchers to incorporate prevention and treatment strategies to reduce risk behaviors and prevent psychiatric disorders among these adolescents.

Introduction: Despite the huge public health problems of alcohol use, there is no community data in Benue South, Senatorial District. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of alcohol use and their determinants in Benue South Senatorial District.Materials and Method: 400 participants aged 18 to 60 years, who consented, were recruited consecutively in Okpokwu, Otukpo and Ohimini Local Government Areas (LGAs). A 3-part questionnaire, including the WHO Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) was administered to the participants.Results: The mean age was 29.12 years ± 10.5. The lifetime prevalence of alcohol use was 77.5% and the prevalence of current alcohol use was 47.5 %. The study found no determinant of alcohol use. There was no association between alcohol use and gender (p=0.163), age (p=0.043), educational level (p=0.934), community control of alcohol use (p=0.451) and ease of obtaining alcohol (p=0.920).Conclusion: Further research on alcohol use alongside routine screening and appropriate interventions in facilities is an important public health action.

BackgroundExcessive alcohol use accounted for an estimated average of 23,000 deaths and 633,000 years of potential life lost (YPLL) among women and girls in the United States each year during 2001–2005. Binge drinking accounted for more than half of those deaths and YPLL. Binge drinking also is a risk factor for many health and social problems among women and girls, including unintended and alcohol-exposed pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and breast cancer.MethodsTo describe the prevalence, frequency, and intensity of binge drinking (four or more drinks on an occasion in the last 30 days) among U.S. women aged ≥18 years, CDC analyzed data from the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Data were also analyzed from the 2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey on the prevalence of current alcohol use (one or more drinks during the past 30 days) and binge drinking (five or more drinks in a row during the past 30 days) among U.S. high school girls in grades 9–12.ResultsAmong adult women, the prevalence of binge drinking was 12.5%, and among those who binge drank, the frequency of binge drinking was 3.2 episodes per month and the intensity was 5.7 drinks on occasion. Binge drinking was most prevalent among women aged 18–24 years (24.2%) and 25–34 years (19.9%), and among those from households with annual incomes of ≥$75,000 (16.0%). Among those who binge drank, women aged 18–24 years had the highest frequency (3.6 episodes) and intensity (6.4 drinks) of binge drinking. Among high school girls, the prevalence of current alcohol use was 37.9%, the prevalence of binge drinking was 19.8%, and the prevalence of binge drinking among girls who reported current alcohol use was 54.6%.ConclusionsBinge drinking is reported by one in eight U.S. adult women and one in five high school girls. Women who binge drink tend to do so frequently and with high intensity. Most high school girls who reported current alcohol use also reported binge drinking.Implications for Public Health PracticeMore widespread implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as those recommended by the Guide to Community Preventive Services and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, would be expected to reduce the frequency and intensity, and ultimately the prevalence of binge drinking among women and girls, and the harms related to it.