Alcohol Hazardous Use Research Articles

Factors associated with adherence to a web-based alcohol intervention among college students

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the association between student characteristics and recruitment strategies in the adherence of college students to a web-based alcohol intervention. Participants were 46,329 Brazilian students aged from 18 to 30, who consumed alcohol during the past three months. Three recruitment strategies were implemented: open invitations, and personally-addressed invitations with or without non-monetary incentives. We evaluated the educational, sociodemographic, motivational, and alcohol consumption effects on adherence using logistic regression models. Women (aOR = 1.09 [1.04; 1.14]), students with higher income (aOR = 1.32 [1.21; 1.45]), and more motivated students (aOR = 1.04 [1.03; 1.05]) were more adherent to the intervention, as well as those reporting binge drinking (aOR = 1.26 [1.19; 1.33]) and alcohol hazardous use (aOR = 1.11 [1.05; 1.18]). The use of incentives was the main factor associated with adherence (aOR = 3.69 [2.46; 5.55]). Our results may help the development of future web-based interventions related to alcohol use.

Violence and post-traumatic stress disorder in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: the protocol for an epidemiological and genetic survey

Backgroundviolence is a public health major concern, and it is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric outcomes. Brazil is one of the most violent countries in the world, and has an extreme social inequality. Research on the association between violence and mental health may support public health policy and thus reduce the burden of disease attributable to violence. The main objectives of this project were: to study the association between violence and mental disorders in the Brazilian population; to estimate the prevalence rates of exposure to violence, post-traumatic stress disorder, common metal disorder, and alcohol hazardous use and dependence: and to identify contextual and individual factors, including genetic factors, associated with the outcomes.Methods/designone phase cross-sectional survey carried out in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A multistage probability to size sampling scheme was performed in order to select the participants (3000 and 1500 respectively). The cities were stratified according to homicide rates, and in Sao Paulo the three most violent strata were oversampled. The measurements included exposure to traumatic events, psychiatric diagnoses (CIDI 2.1), contextual (homicide rates and social indicators), and individual factors, such as demographics, social capital, resilience, help seeking behaviours. The interviews were carried between June/2007 February/2008, by a team of lay interviewers. The statistical analyses will be weight-adjusted in order to take account of the design effects. Standardization will be used in order to compare the results between the two centres. Whole genome association analysis will be performed on the 1 million SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) arrays, and additional association analysis will be performed on additional phenotypes. The Ethical Committee of the Federal University of Sao Paulo approved the study, and participants who matched diagnostic criteria have been offered a referral to outpatient clinics at the Federal University of Sao Paulo and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.