Suchergebnisse

An estimated 85 million pregnancies were unintended worldwide in 2012, which is 40% of all pregnancies (Sedgh, Singh, Hussain, 2014). Knowledge about how to use different methods of contraception correctly is vital to their success. The aim of this research was to evaluate the efficacy of an ultra-short, computerized personal feedback intervention to increase 34 college students' knowledge about different methods of contraception and compare them to 34 students who did not receive the intervention. Students who participated in the intervention improved their factual knowledge about contraception and also indicated marginally higher intentions to use condoms in future sexual interactions after the personalized feedback intervention as compared to students in a control condition. Implications for settings in which very brief interventions to improve knowledge regarding contraception and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention are desirable are discussed.
Key words: college student health, contraception, personalized computerized feedback, STI prevention.

Abstract

Aims
Cumulative consumption of alcohol and variations of alcohol intake by age are unknown in chronic pancreatitis (CP) patients in North America. This study summarizes the lifetime drinking history (LDH) by physician attribution of alcohol etiology, smoking status and sex in persons with CP.


Methods
We analyzed data on 193 CP participants who completed the LDH questionnaire in the North American Pancreatitis Continuation and Validation Study (NAPS2-CV). We collected data on frequency of drinking and drinks per drinking day for each drinking phase of their lives. We examined differences in total number of alcoholic drinks and weight of ethanol consumed by physician's assessment of CP etiology, sex and smoking status. We also compared intensity of drinking in 20, 30 and 40s by timing of CP diagnosis.


Results
Persons diagnosed with alcoholic CP consumed median of 34,488 drinks (interquartile range 18,240–75,024) prior to diagnosis of CP, which occurred earlier than in persons with CP of other etiology (47 vs. 52 years). Cumulative drinking was greater in male vs. female patients. Male CP patients with a diagnosis of CP before the age of 45 drank more intensely in their 20s as compared to those with later onset of disease. Current smoking was prevalent (67%) among those diagnosed with alcoholic CP. Twenty-eight percent of patients without physician attribution of alcohol etiology reported drinking heavily in the past.


Conclusions
Lifetime cumulative consumption of alcohol and prevalence of current smoking are high in persons diagnosed with alcoholic pancreatitis. Intense drinking in early years is associated with earlier manifestation of the disease.