The purpose of this study was to identify some environmental and overt behavioral factors which are characteristic of drug users. This was attempted to enable individuals who work with adolescents to identify potential users.

This study analyzes the depiction of drug usage, cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption in movies in terms of character stereotyping and typecasting. Because movies are focused on making money they are being used as marketing tools by alcohol and cigarette conglomerates (Grube, 2004). The study also explores youth perception of such content and tries to determine the behavioral implications or influence of such content on young children. The goal of this research is to analyze the social cognitive influence of movies on the youth and the effects of censorship in movies today. The research compares this effect in the two largest movie markets - the American market (Hollywood) and the Indian market (Bollywood) and the effect of these depictions on the youth to see whether this issue warrants a global understanding and awareness. The aim of this study is to understand the nature of the movie markets and the depiction of such content in movies. It analyses the issue solely from the perspective of a youth audience to better understand how the youth today perceive movies and to see if depiction of cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and drug usage has a positive or negative effect on the youth audience. A part of the analysis of the study is to also better understand censorship techniques employed for both movie markets to see if they are effective or need to be improved upon. Finally the study asks the question of social responsibility and whether movies and movie stars have a responsibility to maintain higher censorship standards or they are merely depiction art through the medium and should not be held accountable for their depictions on screen.

O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar as relações entre estilos parentais percebidos e uso de drogas por adolescentes, além de testar o poder preditivo dos estilos parentais para o consumo dessas substâncias psicoativas. Para tanto, aplicou-se um inventário sobre o uso de drogas e uma escala de estilos parentais em 649 estudantes de escolas públicas e particulares, 55% eram do sexo feminino, com média de idade de 14,9 anos (DP=1,6). Constatou-se maior frequência de usuários de drogas entre os participantes do ensino fundamental, os de escolas públicas e os com percepção de estilo parental negligente. As variáveis idade, tipo de escola, exigência e responsividade parental compuseram um modelo preditivo para o consumo de drogas. Os resultados indicaram a importância do estilo autoritativo para a prevenção e do negligente para o risco do uso de drogas. / The aim of this study was to verify the relationship between perceived parenting styles and drug use by adolescents, in addition to test the predictive power of parenting styles for the consumption of psychoactive substances. The instruments used were an inventory about the use of drugs and the Brazilian adaptation of a parenting styles scale. The participants were 649 students from public and private schools, 55% were female with a mean age of 14.9 years (SD=1.6). The results showed a higher frequency of drug users among students of elementary and public schools, and among those who presented a perception of negligent parenting style. The variables age, type of school, demandingness and responsiveness composed a predictive model for drug use. The results pointed out the importance of the authoritative style for prevention and the negligent style as a risk factor for drug use.

O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar as relações entre estilos parentais percebidos e uso de drogas por adolescentes, além de testar o poder preditivo dos estilos parentais para o consumo dessas substâncias psicoativas. Para tanto, aplicou-se um inventário sobre o uso de drogas e uma escala de estilos parentais em 649 estudantes de escolas públicas e particulares, 55% eram do sexo feminino, com média de idade de 14,9 anos (DP=1,6). Constatou-se maior frequência de usuários de drogas entre os participantes do ensino fundamental, os de escolas públicas e os com percepção de estilo parental negligente. As variáveis idade, tipo de escola, exigência e responsividade parental compuseram um modelo preditivo para o consumo de drogas. Os resultados indicaram a importância do estilo autoritativo para a prevenção e do negligente para o risco do uso de drogas. / The aim of this study was to verify the relationship between perceived parenting styles and drug use by adolescents, in addition to test the predictive power of parenting styles for the consumption of psychoactive substances. The instruments used were an inventory about the use of drugs and the Brazilian adaptation of a parenting styles scale. The participants were 649 students from public and private schools, 55% were female with a mean age of 14.9 years (SD=1.6). The results showed a higher frequency of drug users among students of elementary and public schools, and among those who presented a perception of negligent parenting style. The variables age, type of school, demandingness and responsiveness composed a predictive model for drug use. The results pointed out the importance of the authoritative style for prevention and the negligent style as a risk factor for drug use.

O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar as relações entre estilos parentais percebidos e uso de drogas por adolescentes, além de testar o poder preditivo dos estilos parentais para o consumo dessas substâncias psicoativas. Para tanto, aplicou-se um inventário sobre o uso de drogas e uma escala de estilos parentais em 649 estudantes de escolas públicas e particulares, 55% eram do sexo feminino, com média de idade de 14,9 anos (DP=1,6). Constatou-se maior frequência de usuários de drogas entre os participantes do ensino fundamental, os de escolas públicas e os com percepção de estilo parental negligente. As variáveis idade, tipo de escola, exigência e responsividade parental compuseram um modelo preditivo para o consumo de drogas. Os resultados indicaram a importância do estilo autoritativo para a prevenção e do negligente para o risco do uso de drogas. / The aim of this study was to verify the relationship between perceived parenting styles and drug use by adolescents, in addition to test the predictive power of parenting styles for the consumption of psychoactive substances. The instruments used were an inventory about the use of drugs and the Brazilian adaptation of a parenting styles scale. The participants were 649 students from public and private schools, 55% were female with a mean age of 14.9 years (SD=1.6). The results showed a higher frequency of drug users among students of elementary and public schools, and among those who presented a perception of negligent parenting style. The variables age, type of school, demandingness and responsiveness composed a predictive model for drug use. The results pointed out the importance of the authoritative style for prevention and the negligent style as a risk factor for drug use.

Os conceitos de qualidade de vida, assim como investigações a respeito do uso de substâncias psicoativas, estão diretamente influenciados pelo contexto histórico, social e cultural. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar a qualidade de vida e uso de drogas em adolescentes matriculados no Ensino Médio do Município de São Paulo buscando fornecer subsídios para políticas públicas e privadas visando à melhoria da qualidade de vida desta população. Foram, para esse fim, sorteadas 17 escolas Estaduais e cinco Particulares, compondo uma amostra de 2434 estudantes. Os instrumentos utilizados foram: Questionário de Identificação, WHOQOL-100, SF-36, Teste de Raciocínio Verbal e Questionário sobre uso de drogas. Para o tratamento estatístico foram realizadas Análise de Variância (ANOVA), o teste Pós Hoc de Tukey, cálculos de porcentagem e análise de Conglomerados (Cluster). Os estudantes que apresentaram maior qualidade de vida e maior consumo de drogas foram os representantes das classes mais altas e, portanto, das escolas particulares. O consumo, neste período da vida, ainda não causa prejuízos, mas, sim, prazer, contribuindo para um auto-relato de melhor qualidade de vida. Os que relataram menor uso tendem a ter melhor resultado em alguns domínios de qualidade de vida, são eles: Domínios: Físicos tanto no SF-36 quanto no WHOQOL-100; capacidade funcional (SF-36), Aspectos Sociais (SF-36), Estado Geral de Saúde (SF-36) e Nível de Independência (WHOQOL-100). Aqueles que revelaram consumo mais intenso apresentaram pontuações mais baixas nos domínios: Saúde Mental (SF-36), Capacidade Funcional (SF-36), Aspectos Físicos (SF-36 e WHOQOL- 100), Aspectos Sociais (SF-36) e Estado Geral de Saúde (SF-36). As regiões que apresentaram maior consumo de droga foram a norte e a oeste. O menor consumo ficou entre as regiões Leste e Oeste. Algumas Diretorias de Ensino apresentaram alta qualidade de vida e baixo uso de drogas, foram elas Leste 1 e Sul 2. Quanto ao relacionamento com os pais, os que relataram relacionamento ruim com qualquer um dos pais, tenderam a declarar consumo mais intenso de drogas. Estudantes com iv características de resiliência foram encontrados e observou-se alguns aspectos comuns entre eles quando comparados com a amostra geral: eles fazem parte de ambientes com baixo índice de consumo de drogas, relatam apoio e suporte familiar; todos os resilientes declaram bom relacionamento com a mãe e; indicam auto-estima elevada. Independentemente dos riscos apresentados, dos problemas ou das dificuldades, a sugestão sempre está ligada a programas, projetos, ações, medidas que incluem a educação num sentido mais amplo, ou seja, a criação de programas educativos locais, que envolvam as características, anseios, dificuldades, potencialidades de uma determinada população. Realizar programas de promoção de saúde envolve o fortalecimento das capacidades individuais, mobilização de recursos coletivos, medidas intersetoriais (associação de setores educacionais com setores da saúde e comunitários), valorização da família (o papel do pai, da mãe, a qualidade das relações, etc.), da capacidade de escolha, do conhecimento, da cultura e respeito às diferenças e diversidades / The concepts of quality of life, such as investigations concerning the usage of psychoactive agents, are influenced directly by historical, social and cultural contexts. In this research, our main goal was to assess the quality of life and drug usage by college students, teenagers, of São Paulo city in order to provide subsidies for private and public policies whose objective is to improve the quality of life of this population. 17 public schools and 5 particular schools were raffled off, providing 2434 students as sample. The tools for assessment were: WHOQOL-100 Identification Inquiry, SF-36, Verbal Reasoning Test and Drug Usage Inquiry. For statistical measurements, an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Turkeys Pos Hoc test, percentage calculation and gathered mass analysis (Cluster) were used. The most quality of life students and those whose indicates higher rates of drugs usage, belongs to the higher social classes, therefore, from the private schools. In this period of life, drug usage produces no disadvantage. On the contrary, drug usage produces pleasure, which contributes to the self reports of quality of life. Those students which presented less drug usage, mostly obtained best results in some domains of quality of life, such as: Domains: Physical, in the SF-36 such as in WHOQOL-100; functional capacities (SF-36), Social Traits (SF- 36), Overall Healthy (SF-36) and Self-reliance Level (WHOQOL-100). Those who revealed more intensive drug usage also presented lower scores in domains: Mental Healthy (SF-36) and Overall Healthy (SF-36). Higher drug usage was observed mostly in the North and West districts. Lower drug usage was observed in the East and West districts. Some Scholars Agencies presented high quality of live and low tax of drug usage, namely East 1 and South 2. Most of the students who reported bad relationship with one of the parents, also reported intensive drug usage. Common features were shared by the resilient students when compared to the sample: They habit low drug usage environments, they also mention familiar care and support; all resilient students declared they get along with their mothers, and indicate high rates of self-esteem. Despite of the risks, problems or difficulties that were detected, the suggestions made vi are related to development of programs, projects, attitudes, procedures directed to a wide range educational change, that means, development of local educational programs, that deals with the wishes, difficulties, potentials of a particular population. To carry out a healthy care program must evolve the strengthening of individual abilities, mobilization of collective resources, inter-sectors enterprises (educational sectors associated with healthy care and communitarian sectors), family appraisal (role of the father, mother, relationships quality, etc.), choice ability, knowledge, culture and acceptance of the differences and diversities

Background and Objective: To evaluate non-adherence to guideline on rational antibioticotherapy, proportions of hospital infections and empirical treatments in antibioticotherapy, and the need for making intervention to non-rational antibiotics prescriptions. Design: Observational study of non-adherence to guidelines on rational antibioticotherapy. Analysis of antibiotics prescriptions in tertiary hospital settings. Setting: 34 wards in tertiary hospital - University hospital at Kaunas University of Medicine. Main Outcome Measures: Proportions of non-rational treatment. Results: 331 (29,82%) patient of 1110, received antibiotics prescription. 166 (50.15%) rescriptions for treatment and 165 (49.75 %) for prophylaxis. Empiric treatment 279 (84.29%) cases, 52 (15.71%) treatment cases based on bacteriological analysis. Community infections 111 (67.27%) cases. 206 (62,24%) prescriptions were non-adherent to guidelines rational antibioticotherapy. Correlation of non-adherence with rational antibioticotherapy for hospital and community infections was found as r = 0.43 (P < 0.05) and 0.64 (P < 0.01), correspondingly; and for empiric treatment and treatment based on bacteriological analysis as r=0.8 (P < 0.01) and 0.06 (P > 0.05), correspondingly. Conclusions: Empirical treatments in hospital settings comprise high (84%) proportion of cases of antibioticotherapy. Hospital infections comprise high (33%) proportion of infections in hospital settings. Prescription analysis has shown... [to full text]

Os conceitos de qualidade de vida, assim como investigações a respeito do uso de substâncias psicoativas, estão diretamente influenciados pelo contexto histórico, social e cultural. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar a qualidade de vida e uso de drogas em adolescentes matriculados no Ensino Médio do Município de São Paulo buscando fornecer subsídios para políticas públicas e privadas visando à melhoria da qualidade de vida desta população. Foram, para esse fim, sorteadas 17 escolas Estaduais e cinco Particulares, compondo uma amostra de 2434 estudantes. Os instrumentos utilizados foram: Questionário de Identificação, WHOQOL-100, SF-36, Teste de Raciocínio Verbal e Questionário sobre uso de drogas. Para o tratamento estatístico foram realizadas Análise de Variância (ANOVA), o teste Pós Hoc de Tukey, cálculos de porcentagem e análise de Conglomerados (Cluster). Os estudantes que apresentaram maior qualidade de vida e maior consumo de drogas foram os representantes das classes mais altas e, portanto, das escolas particulares. O consumo, neste período da vida, ainda não causa prejuízos, mas, sim, prazer, contribuindo para um auto-relato de melhor qualidade de vida. Os que relataram menor uso tendem a ter melhor resultado em alguns domínios de qualidade de vida, são eles: Domínios: Físicos tanto no SF-36 quanto no WHOQOL-100; capacidade funcional (SF-36), Aspectos Sociais (SF-36), Estado Geral de Saúde (SF-36) e Nível de Independência (WHOQOL-100). Aqueles que revelaram consumo mais intenso apresentaram pontuações mais baixas nos domínios: Saúde Mental (SF-36), Capacidade Funcional (SF-36), Aspectos Físicos (SF-36 e WHOQOL- 100), Aspectos Sociais (SF-36) e Estado Geral de Saúde (SF-36). As regiões que apresentaram maior consumo de droga foram a norte e a oeste. O menor consumo ficou entre as regiões Leste e Oeste. Algumas Diretorias de Ensino apresentaram alta qualidade de vida e baixo uso de drogas, foram elas Leste 1 e Sul 2. Quanto ao relacionamento com os pais, os que relataram relacionamento ruim com qualquer um dos pais, tenderam a declarar consumo mais intenso de drogas. Estudantes com iv características de resiliência foram encontrados e observou-se alguns aspectos comuns entre eles quando comparados com a amostra geral: eles fazem parte de ambientes com baixo índice de consumo de drogas, relatam apoio e suporte familiar; todos os resilientes declaram bom relacionamento com a mãe e; indicam auto-estima elevada. Independentemente dos riscos apresentados, dos problemas ou das dificuldades, a sugestão sempre está ligada a programas, projetos, ações, medidas que incluem a educação num sentido mais amplo, ou seja, a criação de programas educativos locais, que envolvam as características, anseios, dificuldades, potencialidades de uma determinada população. Realizar programas de promoção de saúde envolve o fortalecimento das capacidades individuais, mobilização de recursos coletivos, medidas intersetoriais (associação de setores educacionais com setores da saúde e comunitários), valorização da família (o papel do pai, da mãe, a qualidade das relações, etc.), da capacidade de escolha, do conhecimento, da cultura e respeito às diferenças e diversidades / The concepts of quality of life, such as investigations concerning the usage of psychoactive agents, are influenced directly by historical, social and cultural contexts. In this research, our main goal was to assess the quality of life and drug usage by college students, teenagers, of São Paulo city in order to provide subsidies for private and public policies whose objective is to improve the quality of life of this population. 17 public schools and 5 particular schools were raffled off, providing 2434 students as sample. The tools for assessment were: WHOQOL-100 Identification Inquiry, SF-36, Verbal Reasoning Test and Drug Usage Inquiry. For statistical measurements, an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Turkeys Pos Hoc test, percentage calculation and gathered mass analysis (Cluster) were used. The most quality of life students and those whose indicates higher rates of drugs usage, belongs to the higher social classes, therefore, from the private schools. In this period of life, drug usage produces no disadvantage. On the contrary, drug usage produces pleasure, which contributes to the self reports of quality of life. Those students which presented less drug usage, mostly obtained best results in some domains of quality of life, such as: Domains: Physical, in the SF-36 such as in WHOQOL-100; functional capacities (SF-36), Social Traits (SF- 36), Overall Healthy (SF-36) and Self-reliance Level (WHOQOL-100). Those who revealed more intensive drug usage also presented lower scores in domains: Mental Healthy (SF-36) and Overall Healthy (SF-36). Higher drug usage was observed mostly in the North and West districts. Lower drug usage was observed in the East and West districts. Some Scholars Agencies presented high quality of live and low tax of drug usage, namely East 1 and South 2. Most of the students who reported bad relationship with one of the parents, also reported intensive drug usage. Common features were shared by the resilient students when compared to the sample: They habit low drug usage environments, they also mention familiar care and support; all resilient students declared they get along with their mothers, and indicate high rates of self-esteem. Despite of the risks, problems or difficulties that were detected, the suggestions made vi are related to development of programs, projects, attitudes, procedures directed to a wide range educational change, that means, development of local educational programs, that deals with the wishes, difficulties, potentials of a particular population. To carry out a healthy care program must evolve the strengthening of individual abilities, mobilization of collective resources, inter-sectors enterprises (educational sectors associated with healthy care and communitarian sectors), family appraisal (role of the father, mother, relationships quality, etc.), choice ability, knowledge, culture and acceptance of the differences and diversities

In South Africa, significant changes in health care have taken place since the first democratic elections in 1994. The change had lead to a position of integrated service delivery with specific reference to primary health care. Increasingly in developing countries, the private sector impacts significantly on the rights to education and the highest attainable standard of health. Inappropriate prescribing e.g. prescribing a drug without an acceptable indication, specifying an incorrect dosage, schedule or duration of treatment, duplicating therapeutic agents and prescribing drugs without adequate regard to potential interactions, can cause adverse outcomes, deplete health care resources, compromise the quality of care and possible increase in health costs. One approach monitoring prescribing practices is drug utilisation review. The general objective of this study was to review and interpret aspects of drug usage patterns in a private primary health care setting, with special reference to the top ten diagnoses made and the top twenty medicine items prescribed as well as the associated costs. A quantitative, retrospective drug utilisation review as well as certain aspects of managed and primary health care, pharmacoeconomics, pharmacoepidemiology, medicine formularies and standard treatment guidelines were reviewed in the literature as a base for the study. The results of the empirical study showed that 83648 patients consulted at the nine medicentres during the study period (1 January to 31 December 2001). A total number of 132591 patient visits (consultations) were made, 140723 medical conditions (diagnoses) performed and 516177 medicine items prescribed during the study period. Analysis of medicine usage patterns and associated costs of the top ten diagnoses made and top twenty medicine items prescribed in the study population, revealed the following: The top ten diagnoses determined accounted for 29.07% of the total number of diagnoses made, . a total medicine treatment cost accounting for 32.11% in the study population, . the top twenty medicine items determined accounted for 56.23% of the total medicine items prescribed and . a total medicine treatment cost accounting for 28.63% in the study population. The highest prevalence of diagnoses made and medicine items prescribed was found in age groups 4 and 5 (Le. patients between the ages of 19 to 40 years) and was also found to be more prevalent in the female than in the male population. In completion of the research, recommendations to review the medicentres medicine treatment protocols and on provision of primary health care education were made. Reference to the investigation of environmental factors is also made. / Thesis (M.Pharm.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

In South Africa, significant changes in health care have taken place since the first democratic elections in 1994. The change had lead to a position of integrated service delivery with specific reference to primary health care. Increasingly in developing countries, the private sector impacts significantly on the rights to education and the highest attainable standard of health. Inappropriate prescribing e.g. prescribing a drug without an acceptable indication, specifying an incorrect dosage, schedule or duration of treatment, duplicating therapeutic agents and prescribing drugs without adequate regard to potential interactions, can cause adverse outcomes, deplete health care resources, compromise the quality of care and possible increase in health costs. One approach monitoring prescribing practices is drug utilisation review. The general objective of this study was to review and interpret aspects of drug usage patterns in a private primary health care setting, with special reference to the top ten diagnoses made and the top twenty medicine items prescribed as well as the associated costs. A quantitative, retrospective drug utilisation review as well as certain aspects of managed and primary health care, pharmacoeconomics, pharmacoepidemiology, medicine formularies and standard treatment guidelines were reviewed in the literature as a base for the study. The results of the empirical study showed that 83648 patients consulted at the nine medicentres during the study period (1 January to 31 December 2001). A total number of 132591 patient visits (consultations) were made, 140723 medical conditions (diagnoses) performed and 516177 medicine items prescribed during the study period. Analysis of medicine usage patterns and associated costs of the top ten diagnoses made and top twenty medicine items prescribed in the study population, revealed the following: The top ten diagnoses determined accounted for 29.07% of the total number of diagnoses made, . a total medicine treatment cost accounting for 32.11% in the study population, . the top twenty medicine items determined accounted for 56.23% of the total medicine items prescribed and . a total medicine treatment cost accounting for 28.63% in the study population. The highest prevalence of diagnoses made and medicine items prescribed was found in age groups 4 and 5 (Le. patients between the ages of 19 to 40 years) and was also found to be more prevalent in the female than in the male population. In completion of the research, recommendations to review the medicentres medicine treatment protocols and on provision of primary health care education were made. Reference to the investigation of environmental factors is also made. / Thesis (M.Pharm.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.