Article 1
Section 1
Source:
HCT Libraries page >Discover >Electronic Resources
Search terms:
Drug use
Section 2
Title: Breaking the Taboo: Illicit Drug Use among
Adolescents with
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Abstract
Background. The aim of the study was to explore the
prevalence of illicit drug use in a group
of Polish adolescents with type 1 diabetes (DM1) in comparison with a national
cohort of their healthy peers. Methods. Two hundred and nine adolescents with
DM1, aged 15–18 years, were studied in 2013 with an anonymous questionnaire
prepared for the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs
(ESPAD). The control group was a representative sample of 12114 students at the
same age who took part in ESPAD in 2011. Metabolic control was regarded as good
if self-reported HbA1c was <8% or poor if HbA1c was ≥8%. Results. Lifetime
prevalence of illicit drug use was lower among adolescents with DM1 than in the
control group [58 (28%) versus 5524 (46%), p=10-5]. Cannabis preparations were the most frequently used
substances [38 (18.3%) versus 3976 (33.1%), p=10-5], followed by tranquilizers, sedatives, and amphetamine.
Lifetime and last 12-month use of cannabis were associated with poorer glycemic
control (HbA1c ≥ 8%), p<0.01 and 0.02, respectively. Conclusions.
Adolescents with a DM1 report using illicit drugs to a lesser extent than their
healthy peers. The use of cannabis is associated with a poorer metabolic
control in teens with DM1.
References
Hogendorf,
A. M., Fendler, W., Sieroslawski, J., Bobeff,
K., Wegrewicz, K., Malewska, K. I., &
... Mlynarski, W. (2015). Breaking the Taboo:
Illicit Drug Use among Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. Disease
Markers, 1-8. doi:10.1155/2016/4153278
Section 3
Population
The
research used two sets of groups with one of the groups acting as the control
group. The first group consisted of a total of two hundred and nine
participants suffering from Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. The two hundred and nine
participants were adolescents between the
ages of 15 to 18 years born in 1994-1997. On the other hand, the control group consisted of about 12144 students
from Poland. The control group participants were also adolescents between the
ages of 15-18 years born in the years 1992-1995.
Research Approach
The
two hundred and nine students with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus took part in the
study in the year 2013. During the study, an anonymous questionnaire was prepared
to facilitate the study project. Complete
anonymity got ensured by allowing medical
students who were not involved in the
management of diabetes to engage in the recruitment
process. The participants were patients
scheduled for a routine visit in each of
the sites where the study got performed. The
participants of the study in the first group were expected to have suffered from
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus for at least one year. The study of the group of participants took place in the months
of May and June in three diabetes
centers. On the other hand, the control group comprised
of Polish students who had no history of
Diabetes Mellitus. The control group participants took part in the fifth data collection of the ESPAD in the months of
May and June the year 2011. After the data collection
process, the differences in the
prevalence of illicit drug use between the two groups got evaluated using a test known as the Pearson’s
Chi-square. The calculation of Odd ratios that had
intervals of 95% Confidence also got calculated appropriately during
analysis of data. Assessment of the differences between the control groups and
the group of participants with Type 1
Diabetes for continuous variables was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Finally, the analysis of data
also considered comparisons that had p
values lower than 0.05 as significant
statistically.
Participant selection
The
article or study consisted of two groups, namely, Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and the control group. For a participant to be a
member of the first group, he or she was required to be between the ages of 15 to 18 and
born between the years 1994-1997. Additionally, participants in this first
group were required to have suffered from diabetes for at least one year. Additionally, since the
exercise was intended to be as anonymous as possible, medical students who
played no role in the management of diabetes were put in charge of the participant recruitment process.
Conversely, the way the selection of the 12144 students
that took part in the study as the control group happened is not addressed extensively as far as illicit drug use is concerned. We are only made aware
that the students were between the ages
of 15-18 born between the years 1992 to 1995.
Main results
The
study discovered that the frequency of illicit drug use amongst the
participants in the control group was
higher compared to illicit drug use in
participants with Type 1 Diabetes. In other words, participants that did not have health issues were found to be more willing to indulge in the use of
illicit drugs. The drugs that were used
by the students in order of the most used
drug to the least used drug included Cannabis, tranquilizers, sedatives, and amphetamine.
Article 2
Section 1
Source:
HCT Libraries page >Discover >Electronic Resources
Search
terms: Drug use
Section 2
Title:
Suicide Risk in College Students: The Effects of Internet
Addiction and Drug Use
Abstract
This study aims to identify the factors in suicide risk among
college students by examining the direct and indirect effects of drug use,
internet addiction, gender, and alcohol use on suicide risk. The sample of the
study is composed of 975 students studying at different faculties of the Ahi
Evran University during the academic year 2011-2012. They were selected through convenience sampling. This
study used the University Form of Risk Behaviors Scale and Internet Addiction
Scale as the data collection instruments. A path analysis was conducted to view
the effects of independent variables on suicide risk. Results showed that
college students' suicide risk is predicted by drug use and Internet addiction;
and while gender and alcohol use do not have a significant direct effect on
suicide risk, their indirect effects are significant. According to these
results, suicide risk in university students is predicted by other risk
behaviors. Thus, the importance of demonstrating the causal relationship
between risk behaviors is discussed in the light of literature.
Reference
Kurt,
D. G. (2015). Suicide Risk in College Students: The Effects of Internet Addiction and Drug Use. Educational
Sciences: Theory & Practice, 15(4), 841-848.
doi:10.12738/estp.2015.4.2639
Section 3
Population
The
study comprised of 975 students from different faculties in the University of
Ahi Evran in the 2011-2012 academic year. Amongst the 975 students that took
part in the study, 26.5% (258 students)
were from the Faculty of Science and
Letters. Conversely, 10.2% (99 students) and 14.7% (143 students) were from the
faculties of Agriculture and Economics and Administration Sciences
respectively. Additionally, 10.2% (99 students), 20% (195 students) and 18.6%
(181 students) were from Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vocational Health
College and School of Physical Education and Sports
respectively. Amongst the 975 students that participated in the study,
39.1% (381 students) were male, whereas 60.9% (594 students) were female.
Lastly, 42.8% (417 students), 28.8% (281 students), 14.8% (144 students) and
13.6% (133 students) were in the first, second, third and fourth-year grade of their studies
respectively.
Research Approach
The
study used a questionnaire in the form of a Risk Behaviors Scale that was
intended to measure risk behaviors such
as drug use amongst the university students. Risky behaviors such as smoking, drug use, alcohol use as well as
antisocial behaviors coupled with suicidal
risks got measured in the Risk Behaviors
Scale. The students participating in the study
were also asked a series of questions to obtain information about their
grades, areas of study and gender. Before the study commenced, permission was
sought from the relevant University
authority. Students then got information about
the subject and purpose of the study. Data gathering
occurred with the help of students who volunteered to help out in the study.
The data collection process happened during
class time with the ample support of the
lecturers. Just before the analysis of data collected began, the Pearson’s
correlation coefficient between the variables got computed. The path analysis
also was conducted for the determination
of the effects that independent variables had on
dependent variables. Analysis of data was done using AMOS (Analysis of
Moment Structures).
Participant selection
The
975 students that participated in the study were selected using the convenience sampling method. In other words,
the students that took part in the study could be
reached easily and asked questions required for the success of the study. The selection of students was therefore just done randomly for those students
that were readily available and willing
to participate in the study.
Main Results
The
study discovered that drug use was a predictor of suicide risk amongst college students. For that reason, the study
ascertained the fact that an increase in suicide
incidences would become rampant in
students who constantly use drugs. On the
other hand, alcohol use was found not to
have significant effects on suicide risks among college
students. Alcohol use amongst
college students was, however, determined to have indirect effects that could lead to suicide.
Section 4
The
study is a direct indication that drug use among college students could be used as a predictor of suicidal tendency in
college. The results confirm that students that
use drugs bear the highest risks related to suicide. On the other hand, internet addiction was also studied in the research, and it was also found that students with Internet
addiction are also more likely to commit suicide. The study shows the
importance of conducting more
investigations concerning the risks of using drugs as a means of fostering suicide prevention. The study
could also help improve the services for students
who are at the risk of committing suicide because of drug abuse. The studies could come in handy in making the lecturers and
counselors in the college to make more informed
decisions about the safety of a
student using drugs. The counselors and
lectures in the college would have the
ability to know how to deal at-risk
students because of their awareness of
the dynamics surrounding drug use and suicide risks. It is, therefore, a belief that the study acts as a significant
contribution to knowledge accumulation in the
field of drug use and suicide.
That is because it sheds light on the other risks that underlie the risk of college student committing suicide
because of drug use.
