Prevention Of High-risk Behaviors Research Articles

Mixed-methods evaluation of a prevention campaign on binge drinking and cannabis use addressed to young people

ABSTRACT Objective To assess whether the French “Amis aussi la nuit” (“Friends also at night”) campaign on peer-support concerning binge drinking and cannabis use in a party setting reached young adults aged 17–25 years, and how it was perceived by them. Methods A posttest evaluation of the campaign using a mixed-methods design was performed. Quantitative data from a large survey (n = 1003) and qualitative data from semi-structured interviews (n = 23) and one focus group (n = 6) were combined to explore strengths and weaknesses of the campaign. We adopted a convergent design where all data were collected simultaneously, reported jointly and, finally, cross-checked for discussion. Results Participants appreciated the campaign, felt involved in its preventive messages and found used communication strategy acceptable and effective. Some negative features were also identified, especially concerning the language and tone of the campaign. Conclusions Recommendations for improving this campaign and informing future ones on similar topics are provided based on the study results. Our findings are important for public health professionals who are interested in the prevention of high-risk behaviors in the young.

The Effect of Peer Education on Health Promotion of Iranian Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Background: Peer education is one of the most effective strategies for changing behavior in adolescents, which provides the unique learning opportunities for promote health behaviors. The aim of this study was to systematically review the effect of peer education on health promotion of Iranian adolescents. Materials and Methods: In this systematic review, all interventional studies were searched from Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane, Medline (via PubMed) as English databases and SID, Magiran and Irondoc as Persian databases using keywords such as adolescent, teenager, student, peer group, education, health and Iran between January 2000 to October 2018. Two reviewer studied the full text of the articles and their main findings were extracted and categorized. The quality of the articles were checked and verified using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) tool. Results: Finally, 20 articles (with total 6,652 adolescents) which met inclusion criteria were investigated and reviewed systemically in four categories including the effect of peer education on prevention of diseases, mental health, nutritional behaviors, and prevention of high-risk behaviors in adolescents. In all categories, the results showed the equal or greater effect of peer education on knowledge, attitude, practice, self-efficacy and health behavior of adolescents compared to other methods such as education by teacher, health personnel, lecture, pamphlet and booklet. Only effect of education by the physician was more than peer education. Conclusion: According to the results, peer education improves the knowledge, attitude, health behavior, and self-efficacy of adolescents and as a result, it will promote the adolescent health.

Prioritizing health promotion lifestyle domains in students of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences from the students and professors' perspective.

INTRODUCTION:An individual's lifestyle is closely related to the health so that a healthy lifestyle improves the purpose of this study was prioritizing health promotion lifestyle domains in students of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences from the students and professors' perspective.MATERIALS AND METHODS:This study was done in cross-sectional method. The statistical population of this study consisted of students in Qazvin University of Medical Sciences in the academic year 2018. In addition, 10 faculty members in this university and five students were questioned in Delphi method from different educational groups. The questionnaire was used consisted of two parts. The first part included demographic characteristics, and the second part included the standard questions for Pender's health promotion model. The Delphi needs assessment method was also used to collect the information.RESULTS:The mean score of students' health-promoting behaviors was average (135.22 ± 19.35). The greatest score of health promotion behaviors was related to the spiritual growth scale (25.3 ± 5.4), and the lowest score was for physical activity (19.7 ± 05.1). The results of the Delphi method also suggested that both groups of faculty members and students believe that the dimensions of health accountability, physical activity, and prevention of high-risk behaviors in the students' lifestyle, need to be intervened.CONCLUSION:The results of the present study indicated that the students' lifestyle at Qazvin University of Medical Sciences was in average condition and low scores in the dimension of physical activity. Planned interventions should be made to promote health-promoting lifestyle among these students.

Translating research into prevention of high-risk behaviors in the presence of complex systems: definitions and systems frameworks.

To impact population health, it is critical to collaborate across disciplinary and practice-based silos and integrate resources, experiences, and knowledge to exert positive change. Complex systems shape both the prevention outcomes researchers, practitioners, and policymakers seek to impact and how research is translated and can either impede or support movement from basic scientific discovery to impactful and scaled-up prevention practice. Systems science methods can be used to facilitate designing translation support that is grounded in a richer understanding of the many interacting forces affecting prevention outcomes across contexts. In this paper, we illustrate how one systems science method, system dynamics, could be used to advance research, practice, and policy initiatives in each stage of translation from discovery to translation of innovation into global communities (T0-T5), with tobacco prevention as an example. System dynamics can be applied to each translational stage to integrate disciplinary knowledge and document testable hypotheses to inform translation research and practice.

Parental Involvement in Efficient Education for Building a Strong Nation

Parental involvement in efficient education for buildup a strong Nation has been a much discussed concept by parents, teachers and policy-makers alike. In this paper is an attempt to highlight that parental involvement is a complex matter. A parent’s role is to support their child’s efficient education. Support the schools and be pro active in their child’s efficient education for buildup a Strong Nation. Express concerns with the teacher. Be a partner in the schools. Know your child’s educational strengths and weaknesses. So the parent can work with their child on the skills they are lacking. The question arises though is parent involvement more than just a “feel good” idea? Does parental involvement really work? The present paper (a) discusses research evidence that indicates the major role parent involvement & school family partnerships play, in improving children’s efficient education for buildup a Strong Nation. (b) Improve social & emotional learning & prevention of high risk behavior for buildup a Strong Nation. (c) Indentify the fundamental barriers to meaningful parental involvement in efficient education and (d) The possible ways of overcoming these barriers in efficient education.

Letter to Prospective Authors from the Editor

This issue marks the first issue of the Journal of Primary Prevention for which our new editorial team has been responsible. We are very grateful to Khristine Queja of Springer for giving us this opportunity, and for all the considerable help and support we received from her, from the outgoing editor, Dr. Susan Tortolero, associate editor, Dr. Melissa Peskin, and from her colleagues Dennis Li and Lionel Santibanez. We hope that you, as readers and reviewers, appreciate the quality, depth, and variety of content that our journal offers, and look forward to hearing from you. We also hope you will submit manuscripts to our journal, and strongly encourage you to consider serving as a guest editor for a special issue, responsible for soliciting manuscripts and reviewers relating to a theme of importance to public health and primary prevention. We are actively seeking manuscripts that address the prevention of high risk behaviors, the reduction of associated problems and harms, and the promotion and maintenance of healthy functioning and psychosocial wellness. We publish a wide spectrum of studies that include the epidemiology and determinants of high risk behavior and environments, as well as the development, evaluation, translation, sustainability, and costs/benefits of preventive interventions. Because our goal is to publish articles that represent primary prevention activities across the globe, we particularly welcome international submissions. We will do our best to make an initial determination of your manuscript’s suitability for the journal within two weeks of its receipt. We will then let you know promptly if we believe it is not appropriate. To expedite the review process, we ask you (1) include at least three keywords that describe the content area of your manuscript, and (2) provide at least three reviewers (and their email addresses) whom you believe will provide a competent and fair review. Authors of manuscripts sent out for review can expect to receive a response within three to four months; if you do not hear from us within that time, please feel free to contact us. Typical delays, over which we have limited control, are caused by difficulties securing completed reviews within the specified period. Our final selection of articles for publication is based on their contribution to the field of prevention, the clarity of their presentation, the strength of their research methodology, and the significance and accessibility of their findings for scientific, policy, and general audiences. You can easily keep track of the review process as it pertains to your manuscript through the journal’s manuscript management system, which may be found here: http://www.editorialmanager.com/jopp/. Abstracts are limited to 300 words. Please pay close attention to the format and content of your abstract, since it is a focus for our initial screening decisions, and C. Ringwalt T. Gwynne M. Shanahan University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Rapid Expansion of a HIV-1 Subtype F Cluster of Recent Origin Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Galicia, Spain

Rapid Expansion of a HIV-1 Subtype F Cluster of Recent Origin Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Galicia, Spain

Five-Year Review of HIV-Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Co-Infected Patients in a New York City AIDS Center

A retrospective review of 4,721 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, followed at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York City, was conducted from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2009. HIV-Hepatitis B virus (HBV) co-infection rate was 218/4,721, 4.6%. Among co-infected patients, 19 patients (19/218, 8.7%) died; 13 patients (13/19, 68.4%) died from non-acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) defining including 2 patients with liver failure. More non-survivors (5 patients, 5/19, 26.3%) had liver cirrhosis than those who survived (8 patients, 8/199, 4.0%; P = 0.002). There were more patients with positive HBV e antigen (HBeAg) among non-survivors, (12 patients, 12/19, 63.2%) than among survivors (74 patients, 74/199, 37.2%; P = 0.047). HIV-HBV co-infection is associated with increased overall mortality. Therefore, use of dual active antiretrovirals, particularly, tenofovir (TDF) based regimen for optimal suppression of HIV-HBV and immune restoration with prevention of high risk behaviors may contribute to improved outcomes.

Prevention of high-risk behaviors in adolescent women

Purpose: To better delineate the impact of health risk behaviors on adolescent women’s current and future health and development. Method: The Commonwealth Fund Survey of Adolescent Health, a national survey of adolescents in Grades 5–12 designed to better understand their health and health care needs, was used as the basis for this study. Survey data were collected in 1997 from a total of 6730 adolescents (3568 females, 3162 males). Areas examined include smoking, drinking, use of other drugs, violence, safety, reproductive risks, and the prevention of risk behaviors in adolescent women. Results: Adolescent women are almost equally likely to smoke, drink, and engage in other substance use as their male counterparts, but with increased health risks. Different motivations for engaging in risk behavior also are evident. Adolescent women are also more likely than adolescent men to experience physical abuse, and they are twice as likely to be sexually abused. Conclusions: Effective prevention programs need to recognize that the motivations for engaging in risk behaviors may differ by gender. Developmental awareness, proper assessment, and pivotal institutions can provide and shape what is needed for healthy development.

The use of the SUN group program with high-risk adolescents

American adolescents are at unprecedented risk for psychological and physical harm. Research consistently demonstrates that adolescents' impressionistic decision-making and impulsivity, when coupled with frequent feelings of being isolated and alone, put them at risk to take action (Arffa, 1983; Crumley, 1979; Hoberman & Garfinkel, 1988; McIntire & Angle, 1973; and Shaffer et al., 1988). Prevention of high risk behavior has become imperative. The SUN program, designed by Judy Tellerman, introduces a model for groups in which teens and pre-teens learn to solve problems with the help of an adult leader. The pilot project described in this paper began in 1994 when Rita Schonberg started using the SUN program with consultation from Judy Tellerman. Students from a small alternative high school, who had been identified as high risk for self-destructive behavior, made up the group. They met for ten sessions during study hall. Students practiced going through ten steps when facing their problems. The steps encouraged the students to: 1. recognize that they have a problem and that, indeed, something is bothering them, 2. identify the problem and be curious about what is causing their discomfort, and 3, turn to the group to sort out the problem. The group process encouraged empathy, delay (not rushing to solve a problem before it is understood), brainstorming, and trying out solutions and reporting back to the group. This paper explores the students' developing ability to fortify themselves against impulsive decision-making. The different phases of the group as a whole are examined. Implications for future work on group therapy approach to prevention in light of adolescent development are also discussed.

Acquired Cognitive Disorders of the Elderly

Many gaps still exist in our understanding of the etiology and the management of dementing disorders. However, there are fairly well established guidelines for the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, the major cause of acquired cognitive disorders in the elderly. The management of patients with dementing disorders should involve the entire family. The medical needs pale beside the functional and psychosocial issues. Therefore, a multidisciplinary approach in a team setting is ideal, where goals can be established and coordinated and communication with the family, patient, and consultants can be facilitated. Patients and family members need to know that life beyond the diagnosis can be meaningful. With the help of support groups, they learn to maximize the positive aspects and can cope with the struggle ahead. It should not be forgotten, however, that not all families had good relationships before the onset of the decline and often are in great need of counseling to manage the anger and guilt they will often experience. Future research is needed not only on the search for better medical treatments but also on the establishment of guidelines for the physician and family to deal with complex social issues such as when one is no longer safe to drive an automobile. Prospective studies on victims of head injury could establish the link of trauma to Alzheimer's disease, that has been proposed. The role of physicians in public policy for prevention of high risk behaviors (such as boxing) is controversial, but at the very least, physicians should play a major role in educating their patients of these dangers. Because of the rapid aging of our population, pressure for research and policy changes in national health and long term care financing has been growing, largely due to the impressive efforts of the Alzheimer's Association. In order to give the kind of attention that is required in the care of these patients, there must be a change in the present system of reimbursement. This will never happen, unless it can be demonstrated that lower costs of health care can be achieved by anticipating the needs of these patients and their families. It is quite possible that costs can be reduced by delaying the need for nursing home placement or decreasing utilization of emergency medical care and hospitalization. However, these assumptions must be investigated further.