Country and policy factors influencing the implementation of primary care-based alcohol screening: A comparison of Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

Researchers and practitioners recognise the importance of context when implementing healthcare interventions, but the influence of wider environment is rarely mapped. This paper identifies the country and policy-related factors potentially explaining the country differences in outcomes of an intervention focused on improving detection and management of heavy alcohol use in primary care in Colombia, Mexico and Peru. Qualitative data obtained through interviews, logbooks and document analysis are used to explain quantitative data on number of alcohol screenings and screening providers in each of the countries. Existing alcohol screening standards in Mexico, and policy prioritisation of primary care and consideration of alcohol as a public health issue in Colombia and Mexico positively contributed to the outcome, while the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact. In Peru, the context was unsupportive due to a combination of: political instability amongst regional health authorities; lack of focus on strengthening primary care due to the expansion of community mental health centres; alcohol considered as an addiction rather than a public health issue; and the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare. We found that wider environment-related factors interacted with the intervention implemented and can help explain country differences in outcomes.

Development of community strategies supporting brief alcohol advice in three Latin American countries: a protocol.

Brief alcohol advice offered to patients was shown to be a clinically- and cost-effective intervention to prevent and manage alcohol-related health harm. However, this intervention is not yet optimally implemented in practice. A suggested strategy to improve the implementation of brief alcohol advice is through community actions which would enhance the environment in which primary healthcare providers must deliver the intervention. However, there has been scarce research conducted to date regarding which community actions have most influence on the adoption and implementation of brief alcohol advice. The current protocol presents the development of a package of community actions to be implemented in three Latin American municipalities, in Colombia, Mexico and Peru. The community actions were based on the Institute for Health Care Improvement's framework for going to full scale, and include: (i) involvement of a Community Advisory Board, (ii) involvement of a project champion, (iii) adoption mechanisms, (iv) support systems and (v) a communication campaign. By presenting a protocol for developing community actions with input from local stakeholders, this article contributes to advancing the public health field of alcohol prevention by potentially stimulating the sustainable adoption and implementation of brief alcohol advice in routine practice.

Reduced alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic: Analyses of 17 000 patients seeking primary health care in Colombia and Mexico.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase of heavy alcohol use has been reported in several high-income countries. We examined changes in alcohol use during the pandemic among primary health care (PHC) patients in two middle income countries, Colombia and Mexico. Methods: Data were collected during routine consultations in 34 PHC centres as part of a large-scale implementation study. Providers measured patients' alcohol consumption with the three item 'Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test' (AUDIT-C). Generalized linear mixed models were performed to examine changes in two dependent variables over time (pre-pandemic and during pandemic): 1) the AUDIT-C score and 2) the proportion of heavy drinking patients (8+ on AUDIT-C). Results: Over a period of more than 600 days, data from N = 17 273 patients were collected. During the pandemic, the number of patients with their alcohol consumption measured decreased in Colombia and Mexico. Each month into the pandemic was associated with a 1.5% and 1.9% reduction in the mean AUDIT-C score in Colombia and Mexico, respectively. The proportion of heavy drinking patients declined during the pandemic in Colombia (pre-pandemic: 5.4%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.8% to 6.0%; during the pandemic: 0.8%, 95% CI = 0.6% to 1.1%) but did not change in Mexico. Conclusions: Average consumption levels declined and the prevalence of heavy drinking patterns did not increase. In addition to reduced opportunities for social drinking during the pandemic, changes in the population seeking PHC and restrictions in alcohol availability and affordability are likely drivers for lower levels of alcohol use by patients in this study.

Barriers to treatment for mental disorders in six countries of the Americas: A regional report from the World Mental Health Surveys.

BACKGROUND: Mental health treatment is scarce and little resources are invested in reducing the wide treatment gap that exists in the Americas. The regional barriers are unknown. We describe the barriers for not seeking treatment among those with mental and substance use disorders from six (four low- and middle-income and two high-income) countries from the Americas. Regional socio-demographic and clinical correlates are assessed. METHODS: Respondents (n = 4648) from seven World Mental Health surveys carried out in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and the United States, who met diagnostic criteria for a 12-month mental disorder, measured with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, and who did not access treatment, were asked about treatment need and, among those with need, structural and attitudinal barriers. Country-specific deviations from regional estimates were evaluated through logistic models. RESULTS: In the Americas, 43% of those that did not access treatment did not perceive treatment need, while the rest reported structural and attitudinal barriers. Overall, 27% reported structural barriers, and 95% attitudinal barriers. The most frequent attitudinal barrier was to want to handle it on their own (69.4%). Being female and having higher severity of disorders were significant correlates of greater perceived structural and lower attitudinal barriers, with few country-specific variations. LIMITATIONS: Only six countries in the Americas are represented; the cross-sectional nature of the survey precludes any causal interpretation. CONCLUSIONS: Awareness of disorder or treatment need in various forms is one of the main barriers reported in the Americas and it specially affects persons with severe disorders.

Dropout from treatment for mental disorders in six countries of the Americas: A regional report from the World Mental Health Surveys.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate structural and attitudinal reasons for premature discontinuation of mental health treatment, socio-demographic and clinical correlates of treatment dropout due to these reasons, and to test country differences from the overall effect across the region of the Americas. METHODS: World Health Organization-World Mental Health (WMH) surveys were carried out in six countries in the Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and USA. Among the 1991 participants who met diagnostic criteria (measured with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WMHCIDI)) for a mental disorder and were in treatment in the prior 12-months, the 236 (12.2%) who dropped out of treatment before the professional recommended were included. FINDINGS: In all countries, individuals more frequently reported attitudinal (79.2%) rather than structural reasons (30.7%) for dropout. Disorder severity was associated with structural reasons; those with severe disorder (versus mild disorder) had 3.4 (95%CI=1.1-11.1) times the odds of reporting a structural reason. Regarding attitudinal reasons, those with lower income (versus higher income) were less likely to discontinue treatment because of getting better (OR=0.4; 95%CI= 0.2-0.9). Country specific variations were found. LIMITATIONS: Not all countries, or the poorest, in the region were included. Some estimations couldn´t be calculated due to cell size. Causality cannot be assumed. CONCLUSION: Clinicians should in the first sessions address attitudinal factors that may lead to premature termination. Public policies need to consider distribution of services to increase convenience. A more rational use of resources would be to offer brief therapies to individuals most likely to drop out of treatment prematurely.

Effect of Community Support on the Implementation of Primary Health Care-Based Measurement of Alcohol Consumption.

Alcohol measurement delivered by health care providers in primary health care settings is an efficacious and cost-effective intervention to reduce alcohol consumption among patients. However, this intervention is not yet routinely implemented in practice. Community support has been recommended as a strategy to stimulate the delivery of alcohol measurement by health care providers, yet evidence on the effectiveness of community support in this regard is scarce. The current study used a pre-post quasi-experimental design in order to investigate the effect of community support in three Latin American municipalities in Colombia, Mexico, and Peru on health care providers' rates of measuring alcohol consumption in their patients. The analysis is based on the first 5 months of implementation. Moreover, the study explored possible mechanisms underlying the effects of community support, through health care providers' awareness of support, as well as their attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy, and subsequent intention toward delivering the intervention. An ANOVA test indicated that community support had a significant effect on health care providers' rates of measuring alcohol consumption in their patients (F (1, 259) = 4.56, p = 0.034, ηp2 = 0.018). Moreover, a path analysis showed that community support had a significant indirect positive effect on providers' self-efficacy to deliver the intervention (b = 0.07, p = 0.008), which was mediated through awareness of support. Specifically, provision of community support resulted in a higher awareness of support among health care providers (b = 0.31, p < 0.001), which then led to higher self-efficacy to deliver brief alcohol advice (b = 0.23, p = 0.010). Results indicate that adoption of an alcohol measurement intervention by health care providers may be aided by community support, by directly impacting the rates of alcohol measurement sessions, and by increasing providers' self-efficacy to deliver this intervention, through increased awareness of support. Trial Registration ID: NCT03524599; Registered 15 May 2018; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03524599.

Costs of an Alcohol Measurement Intervention in Three Latin American Countries.

Alcohol measurement in health care settings is an effective intervention for reducing alcohol-related harm. However, in many countries, costs related to alcohol measurement have not yet been transparently assessed, which may hinder its adoption and implementation. Costs of an alcohol measurement programme in three upper-middle-income Latin American countries were assessed via questionnaires and compared, as part of the quasi-experimental SCALA study. Additional to the intervention costs, the costs of three implementation strategies: standard training and clinical package, intensive training and clinical package, and community support, were assessed and subsequently translated into costs per additional alcohol measurement session. Results demonstrated that costs for one alcohol measurement session ranged between Int$ 0.67 and Int$ 1.23 in Colombia, Int$ 1.19 and Int$ 2.57 in Mexico, and Int$ 1.11 and Int$ 2.14 in Peru. Costs were mainly driven by the salaries of the health professionals. Implementation strategies costs per additional alcohol measurement session ranged between Int$ 1.24 and Int$ 6.17. In all three countries, standard training and a clinical package may be a promising implementation strategy with a relatively low cost per additional alcohol measurement session.

Training primary health care providers in Colombia, Mexico and Peru to increase alcohol screening: Mixed-methods process evaluation of implementation strategy.

Background: Initial results from the SCALA study demonstrated that training primary health care providers is an effective implementation strategy to increase alcohol screening in Colombia, Mexico and Peru, but did not show evidence of superior performance for the standard compared to the shorter training arm. This paper elaborates on those outcomes by examining the relationship of training-related process evaluation indicators with the alcohol screening practice. Methods: A mix of convergent and exploratory mixed-methods design was employed. Data sources included training documentation, post-training questionnaires, observation forms, self-report forms and interviews. Available quantitative data were compared on outcome measure - providers' alcohol screening. Results: Training reach was high: three hundred fifty-two providers (72.3% of all eligible) participated in one or more training or booster sessions. Country differences in session length reflected adaptation to previous topic knowledge and experience of the providers. Overall, 49% of attendees conducted alcohol screening in practice. A higher dose received was positively associated with screening, but there was no difference between standard and short training arms. Although the training sessions were well received by participants, satisfaction with training and perceived utility for practice were not associated with screening. Profession, but not age or gender, was associated with screening: in Colombia and Mexico, doctors and psychologists were more likely to screen (although the latter represented only a small proportion of the sample) and in Peru, only psychologists. Conclusions: The SCALA training programme was well received by the participants and led to half of the participating providers conducting alcohol screening in their primary health care practice. The dose received and the professional role were the key factors associated with conducting the alcohol screening in practice.Plain Language Summary: Primary health care providers can play an important role in detecting heavy drinkers among their consulting patients, and training can be an effective implementation strategy to increase alcohol screening and detection. Existing training literature predominantly focuses on evaluating trainings in high-income countries, or evaluating their effectiveness rather than implementation. As part of SCALA (Scale-up of Prevention and Management of Alcohol Use Disorders in Latin America) study, we evaluated training as implementation strategy to increase alcohol screening in primary health care in a middle-income context. Overall, 72.3% of eligible providers attended the training and 49% of training attendees conducted alcohol screening in practice after attending the training. Our process evaluation suggests that simple intervention with sufficient time to practice, adapted to limited provider availability, is optimal to balance training feasibility and effectiveness; that booster sessions are especially important in context with lower organizational or structural support; and that ongoing training refinement during the implementation period is necessary.

Primary care-based screening and management of depression amongst heavy drinking patients: Interim secondary outcomes of a three-country quasi-experimental study in Latin America.

INTRODUCTION: Implementation of evidence-based care for heavy drinking and depression remains low in global health systems. We tested the impact of providing community support, training, and clinical packages of varied intensity on depression screening and management for heavy drinking patients in Latin American primary healthcare. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Quasi-experimental study involving 58 primary healthcare units in Colombia, Mexico and Peru randomized to receive: (1) usual care (control); (2) training using a brief clinical package; (3) community support plus training using a brief clinical package; (4) community support plus training using a standard clinical package. Outcomes were proportion of: (1) heavy drinking patients screened for depression; (2) screen-positive patients receiving appropriate support; (3) all consulting patients screened for depression, irrespective of drinking status. RESULTS: 550/615 identified heavy drinkers were screened for depression (89.4%). 147/230 patients screening positive for depression received appropriate support (64%). Amongst identified heavy drinkers, adjusting for country, sex, age and provider profession, provision of community support and training had no impact on depression activity rates. Intensity of clinical package also did not affect delivery rates, with comparable performance for brief and standard versions. However, amongst all consulting patients, training providers resulted in significantly higher rates of alcohol measurement and in turn higher depression screening rates; 2.7 times higher compared to those not trained. CONCLUSIONS: Training using a brief clinical package increased depression screening rates in Latin American primary healthcare. It is not possible to determine the effectiveness of community support on depression activity rates due to the impact of COVID-19.

Factors associated with primary health care providers' alcohol screening behavior in Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

Background: Screening for unhealthy alcohol use in routine consultations can aid primary health care (PHC) providers in detecting patients with hazardous or harmful consumption and providing them with appropriate care. As part of larger trial testing strategies to improve implementation of alcohol screening in PHC, this study investigated the motivational (role security, therapeutic commitment, self-efficacy) and organizational context (leadership, work culture, resources, monitoring, community engagement) factors that were associated with the proportion of adult patients screened with AUDIT-C by PHC providers in Colombia, Mexico and Peru. Additionally, the study investigated whether the effect of the factors interacted with implementation strategies and the country. Methods: Pen-and-paper questionnaires were completed by 386 providers at the start of their study participation (79% female, Mage = 39.5, 37.6% doctors, 15.0% nurses, 9.6% psychologists, 37.8% other professional roles). They were allocated to one of four intervention arms: control group; short training only; short training in presence of municipal support; and standard (long) training in presence of municipal support. Providers documented their screening practice during the five-month implementation period. Data were collected between April 2019 and March 2020. Results: Negative binomial regression analysis found an inverse relationship of role security with the proportion of screened patients. Self-efficacy was associated with an increase in the proportion of screened patients only amongst Mexican providers. Support from leadership (formal leader in organization) was the only significant organizational context factor, but only in non-control arms. Conclusion: Higher self-efficacy is a relevant factor in settings where screening practice is already ongoing. Leadership support can enhance effects of implementation strategies.

Perceived appropriateness of alcohol screening and brief advice programmes in Colombia, Mexico and Peru and barriers to their implementation in primary health care - a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Providing alcohol screening and brief advice (SBA) in primary health care (PHC) can be an effective measure to reduce alcohol consumption. To aid successful implementation in an upper middle-income country context, this study investigates the perceived appropriateness of the programme and the perceived barriers to its implementation in PHC settings in three Latin American countries: Colombia, Mexico and Peru, as part of larger implementation study (SCALA). METHODS: An online survey based on the Tailored Implementation for Chronic Diseases (TICD) implementation framework was disseminated in the three countries to key stakeholders with experience in the topic and/or setting (both health professionals and other roles, for example regional health administrators and national experts). In total, 55 respondents participated (66% response rate). For responses to both appropriateness and barriers questions, frequencies were computed, and country comparisons were made using Chi square and Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric tests. RESULTS: Alcohol SBA was seen as an appropriate programme to reduce heavy alcohol use in PHC and a range of providers were considered suitable for its delivery, such as general practitioners, nurses, psychologists and social workers. Contextual factors such as patients' normalised perception of their heavy drinking, lack of on-going support for providers, difficulty of accessing referral services and lenient alcohol control laws were the highest rated barriers. Country differences were found for two barriers: Peruvian respondents rated SBA guidelines as less clear than Mexican (Mann-Whitney U = -18.10, P = 0.001), and more strongly indicated lack of available screening instruments than Colombian (Mann-Whitney U = -12.82, P = 0.035) and Mexican respondents (Mann-Whitney U = -13.56, P = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: The study shows the need to address contextual factors for successful implementation of SBA in practice. General congruence between the countries suggests that similar approaches can be used to encourage widespread implementation of SBA in all three studied countries, with minor tailoring based on the few country-specific barriers.

Características de la oferta de servicios de salud del primer nivel de atención en el control de la tuberculosis: DIRESA Callao, 2017 / Characteristics of the offer of health services on first level of care in tuberculosis control strategies: DIRESA Callao, 2017

Introducción: La provincia constitucional del Callao es una de las más afectadas por la epidemia de tuberculosis a nivel nacional. Asimismo, se debe considerar que los establecimientos de salud del primer nivel de atención son usualmente la puerta de entrada para estos pacientes, al sistema sanitario. Objetivos: Describir las características de la oferta de servicios de salud en unidades de tuberculosis en el primer nivel de atención de la Provincia Constitucional del Callao. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo, en 45 servicios de salud, en los que se indagó sobre características de infraestructura, recursos humanos y el ingreso de data al sistema de información. Resultados: Los 45 establecimientos contaban con "unidades de atención diferenciadas para tuberculosis", atienden en ellas 19 médicos, 35 enfermeros, 3 nutricionistas, 10 psicólogos, 9 asistentes sociales y 50 técnicos de enfermerías. El 96% del personal realizó otras atenciones, y el 33% tuvo menos de 6 meses laborando en estas unidades. Solo un 40% recibió algún entrenamiento específico. El sistema de información fue manual, utilizando libros y registros físicos. Conclusiones: Los servicios de salud cuentan con infraestructura adecuada, pero existen serias limitaciones de personal y en el sistema de información.

Introduction: The constitutional province of Callao is one of the most affected by the epidemic of tuberculosis nationwide. Likewise, it should be considered that the first level health care services are usually the gateway for these patients to the health system. Objectives: To describe the characteristics of the offer of health services in tuberculosis units from first level of care in the Constitutional Province of Callao. Methods: A descriptive study was carried out in 45 tuberculosis units from primary care health services, which investigated the characteristics of infrastructure, human resources and data entry to the information system. Results: 45 primary care health services have "Differentiated units of TB care"; which have 19 doctors, 35 nurses, 3 nutritionists, 10 psychologists, 9 social workers and 50 nursing technicians. 96% of professionals refers doing non-exclusive activities for caring TB patients. 33% have less than 6 months in this work and only 40% have received specific training. In addition, the program’s information system is manual using paper record books. Conclusions: The health services have adequate infrastructure, but there are serious limitations of professionals and information system.

Oficina de saúde e sexualidade: Residentes de saúde promovendo educação sexual entre adolescentes de escola pública / Workshop on health and sexuality: Health residents promoting sexual education among adolescents from a public school / Oficina de salud y sexualidad: Residentes de salud promoviendo educación sexual entre adolescentes de escuela pública

Objetivo: Relatar a experiência da implementação de oficinas de saúde e sexualidade por residentes de saúde da família com adolescentes do 8º ano de uma escola pública em Florianópolis. Relato de experiência: As oficinas foram organizadas sob a forma de encontros mensais, com turmas do 8º ano dos períodos matutino e vespertino, da Escola de Ensino Básico Hilda Teodoro, situada no bairro da Trindade, em Florianópolis, entre os meses de março a dezembro de 2017. Os encontros eram realizados em pequenos grupos, com 16 alunos por turma, dispostos em roda de maneira a permitir a interação e participação de todos os membros, tendo duração de 45 a 90 minutos. Durante os encontros, eram realizadas palestras, dinâmicas e rodas de conversa, estimulando a reflexão, debate e conscientização dos adolescentes acerca da importância de temas como: gravidez na adolescência, doenças sexualmente transmissíveis, orientação sexual e identidade de gênero, machismo, métodos anticoncepcionais e anatomia dos órgãos reprodutivos. Discussão: Por meio da experiência, notou-se participação ativa e ricas contribuições por parte dos adolescentes, principalmente das meninas, evidenciando interesse considerável sobre a temática da sexualidade, principalmente a gravidez na adolescência e os métodos contraceptivos. Os discursos e pontos de vista ressaltaram as mudanças em curso na sociedade brasileira, em direção à igualdade de gênero e empoderamento feminino. Conclusão: As oficinas de saúde e sexualidade desenvolvidas pelos residentes de medicina de família e comunidade e saúde da família representaram uma oportunidade ímpar de interação entre os programas de residência, as equipes de Estratégia de Saúde da Família e a comunidade, utilizando o cenário escolar como ferramenta para a promoção de saúde e empoderamento social.

Objective: To describe an experience of implementing a health and sexuality workshop by family health residents with students from 8th grade classes from a public school in Florianópolis. Experience report: Workshops were organized in the form of monthly meetings, with 8th grade classes of morning and afternoon shifts, from the Hilda Teodoro Elementary School, located in the Trindade neighborhood, Florianópolis, from March to December, 2017. The meetings were performed in small groups, with 16 students per class, organized in circle allowing the interaction and participation of all members, lasting from 45 to 90 minutes. During the workshops, lectures, dynamics and conversation were developed, stimulating adolescents to wonder, discuss and reflect about the importance of topics such as teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual orientation and gender identity, machismo, contraceptive methods and anatomy of the reproductive organs. Discussion: Through the experience, it was noticed active participation and rich contributions by the adolescents, mainly of the girls, evidencing considerable interest on the subject of sexuality, especially teenage pregnancy and contraceptive methods. The speeches and points of view highlighted the changes taking place in Brazilian society, towards gender equality and women's empowerment. Conclusion: Health and sexuality workshops organized by family medicine and family health residents represented a relevant opportunity to interaction amongst Family Health Strategy Residence Programs, Family Health Strategy teams and communities, using the school scenario as a tool for health promotion and social empowerment.

Objetivo: Informar la experiencia de la implementación de talleres de salud y sexualidad por residentes de salud de la familia con adolescentes del 8º año de una escuela pública en Florianópolis. Relato de experiencia: Los talleres fueron organizados en forma de encuentros mensuales, con clases del 8º año, períodos matutino y vespertino, de la Escuela de Educación Básica Hilda Teodoro, ubicada en el barrio de la Trinidad en Florianópolis, entre los meses de marzo a diciembre de 2017. Los encuentros se realizaban en pequeños grupos, con 16 alumnos por clase, dispuestos en de manera que permita la interacción y participación de todos los miembros, teniendo una duración de 45 a 90 minutos. Durante los encuentros se realizaron charlas, dinámicas y ruedas de conversación, estimulando la reflexión, debate y concientización de los adolescentes acerca de la importancia de temas como embarazo en la adolescencia, enfermedades sexualmente transmisibles, orientación sexual e identidad de género, machismo, métodos anticonceptivos y anatomía de los adolescentes órganos reproductivos. Discusión: Por medio de la experiencia, se notó participación activa y ricas contribuciones por parte de los adolescentes, principalmente de las niñas, evidenciando un interés considerable sobre la temática de la sexualidad, principalmente el embarazo en la adolescencia y los métodos anticonceptivos. Los discursos y puntos de vista resaltaron los cambios en curso en la sociedad brasileña, en dirección a la igualdad de género y empoderamiento femenino. Conclusión: Los talleres de salud y sexualidad desarrollados por los residentes de medicina de la familia y salud de la familia representaron una oportunidad relevante de interacción entre los Programas de Residencia en Salud de la Familia, los equipos de Estrategia de Salud de la Familia y la comunidad, utilizando el escenario escolar como herramienta para la promoción de la salud y el empoderamiento social.

The relationship between neighborhood-level socioeconomic characteristics and individual mental disorders in five cities in Latin America: multilevel models from the World Mental Health Surveys.

PURPOSE: Our understanding of community-level predictors of individual mental disorders in large urban areas of lower income countries is limited. In particular, the proportion of migrant, unemployed, and poorly educated residents in neighborhoods of these urban areas may characterize group contexts and shape residents' health. METHODS: Cross-sectional household interviews of 7251 adults were completed across 83 neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Medellín, Colombia; São Paulo, Brazil; Lima, Peru; and Mexico City, Mexico as part of the World Mental Health Survey Initiative. Past-year internalizing and externalizing mental disorders were assessed, and multilevel models were used. RESULTS: Living in neighborhoods with either an above-average or below-average proportion of migrants and highly educated residents was associated with lower odds of any internalizing disorder (for proportion migrants: OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.62-0.91 for the bottom tertile and OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.67-0.94 for the top tertile compared to the middle tertile; for proportion highly educated: OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.64-0.90 for the bottom tertile and OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37-0.90 for the top tertile compared to the middle tertile). Living in neighborhoods with an above-average proportion of unemployed individuals was associated with higher odds of having any internalizing disorder (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.14-1.95 for the top tertile compared to the middle tertile). The proportion of highly educated residents was associated with lower odds of externalizing disorder (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.31-0.93 for the top tertile compared to the middle tertile). CONCLUSIONS: The associations of neighborhood-level migration, unemployment, and education with individual-level odds of mental disorders highlight the importance of community context for understanding the burden of mental disorders among residents of rapidly urbanizing global settings.

Support for alcohol policies among drinkers in Mongolia, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa, St Kitts and Nevis, Thailand and Vietnam: Data from the International Alcohol Control Study.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: A 2010 World Health Assembly resolution called on member states to intensify efforts to address alcohol-related harm. Progress has been slow. This study aims to determine the magnitude of public support for 12 alcohol policies and whether it differs by country, demographic factors and drinking risk (volume consumed). DESIGN AND METHODS: Data are drawn from seven countries participating in the International Alcohol Control Study which used country-specific sampling methods designed to obtain random, representative samples. The weighted total sample comprised 11 494 drinkers aged 16-65 years. RESULTS: Drinking risk was substantial (24% 'increased' risk and 16% 'high' risk) and was particularly high in South Africa. Support varied by alcohol policy, ranging from 12% to 96%, but was above 50% for 79% of the possible country/policy combinations. Across countries, policy support was generally higher for policies addressing drink driving and increasing the alcohol purchase age. There was less support for policies increasing the price of alcohol, especially when funds were not earmarked. Policy support differed by country, and was generally higher in the five middle-income countries than in New Zealand. It also differed by age, gender, education, quantity/frequency of drinking, risk category and country income level. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: We found a trend in policy support, generally being highest in the low-middle-income countries, followed by high-middle-income countries and then high-income countries. Support from drinkers for a range of alcohol policies is extensive across all countries and could be used as a catalyst for further policy action.

Contextualización del inicio sexual y barreras individuales del uso de anticonceptivos en adolescentes de Lima, Huamanga e Iquitos / Contextualization of sexual initiation and individual barriers to the use of contraceptives by adolescents of Lima, Huamanga, and Iquitos

RESUMEN Objetivos . Contextualizar el inicio sexual y las barreras individuales hacia el uso de anticonceptivos en adolescentes, con conocimiento adecuados sobre anticoncepción y enfermedades de transmisión sexual. Materiales y métodos. Se desarrolló un estudio cuanticualitativo en adolescentes procedentes de ciudades con altas tasas de embarazo: Iquitos, Huamanga y Lima. La convocatoria se realizó a través de Facebook, luego se aplicaron encuestas para seleccionar a los adolescentes que cumplían los criterios de inclusión y, finalmente, se realizaron entrevistas para abordar el tema en profundidad. Resultados . Participaron 33 mujeres y 23 varones adolescentes urbanos, con edades entre 18 y 19 años. La edad de inicio sexual osciló entre los 14 y 16 años; las principales razones de inicio sexual en los varones fue el deseo sexual; en las mujeres fue la presión de la pareja; la persona con la que se iniciaron fue, principalmente, una pareja ocasional en los varones, y en las mujeres fue "su enamorado". Se identificaron barreras individuales en relación al uso de anticonceptivos como la estabilidad de la pareja, la responsabilidad de la mujer al usar anticonceptivos, la limitada capacidad de negociación y temor al abandono del varón por exigir su uso, además de la reducción de la sensibilidad sexual generada por el uso del condón. Conclusiones. Estas barreras limitan el uso de anticonceptivos, sugiriendo la necesidad de desarrollar estrategias específicas para fortalecer las habilidades interpersonales del adolescente que se extienden más allá de ofrecer información acerca de los riesgos del sexo sin protección.

ABSTRACT Objectives. To contextualize sexual initiation and barriers to the use of contraceptives by adolescents as well as the acquisition of adequate knowledge regarding contraception and sexually transmitted diseases. Materials and methods. This quantitative and qualitative study evaluated adolescents living in three cities with high pregnancy rates in Peru: Iquitos, Huamanga, and Lima. Subjects were invited to participate in the study via Facebook. Questionnaires were then used to select adolescents who met the inclusion criteria, and interviews were conducted to obtain detailed data regarding the study topic. Results. A total of 33 women and 23 men aged 18 to 19 years participated in the study. The age of onset of sexual activity ranged from 14 to 16 years; the main reasons for sexual initiation were sexual desire among men and pressure from the partner among women; in most cases, the sexual partner was an occasional companion for men and a boyfriend for women. The barriers related to the use of contraceptives were the financial stability of the partner, responsibility of the female partner when using contraceptives, limited capacity to negotiate choices, fear of abandonment by the male partner for demanding the use of contraceptives, and the reduction of sexual sensitivity with the use of condoms. Conclusions. The barriers identified in this study limit the use of contraceptives and indicate the need to develop specific strategies to strengthen the interpersonal skills of adolescents and provide accurate information about the risks of unprotected sex.

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Text Message-Based Smoking Cessation Program for Young Adults in Lima, Peru: Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: In Peru's urban communities, tobacco smoking generally starts during adolescence and smoking prevalence is highest among young adults. Each year, many attempt to quit, but access to smoking cessation programs is limited. Evidence-based text messaging smoking cessation programs are an alternative that has been successfully implemented in high-income countries, but not yet in middle- and low-income countries with limited tobacco control policies. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of an short message service (SMS) text message-based cognitive behavioral smoking cessation program for young adults in Lima, Peru. METHODS: Recruitment included using flyers and social media ads to direct young adults interested in quitting smoking to a website where interested participants completed a Google Drive survey. Inclusion criteria were being between ages 18 and 25 years, smoking at least four cigarettes per day at least 6 days per week, willing to quit in the next 30 days, owning a mobile phone, using SMS text messaging at least once in past year, and residing in Lima. Participants joined one of three phases: (1) focus groups and in-depth interviews whose feedback was used to develop the SMS text messages, (2) validating the SMS text messages, and (3) a pilot of the SMS text message-based smoking cessation program to test its feasibility and acceptability among young adults in Lima. The outcome measures included adherence to the SMS text message-based program, acceptability of content, and smoking abstinence self-report on days 2, 7, and 30 after quitting. RESULTS: Of 639 participants who completed initial online surveys, 42 met the inclusion criteria and 35 agreed to participate (focus groups and interviews: n=12; validate SMS text messages: n=8; program pilot: n=15). Common quit practices and beliefs emerged from participants in the focus groups and interviews informed the content, tone, and delivery schedule of the messages used in the SMS text message smoking cessation program. A small randomized controlled pilot trial was performed to test the program's feasibility and acceptability; nine smokers were assigned to the SMS text message smoking cessation program and six to a SMS text message nutrition program. Participant retention was high: 93% (14/15) remained until day 30 after quit day. In all, 56% of participants (5/9) in the SMS text message smoking cessation program reported remaining smoke-free until day 30 after quit day and 17% of participants (1/6) in the SMS text message nutrition program reported remaining smoke-free during the entire program. The 14 participants who completed the pilot reported that they received valuable health information and approved the delivery schedule of the SMS text messages. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides initial evidence that a SMS text message smoking cessation program is feasible and acceptable for young adults residing in Lima.

Posttraumatic stress disorder associated with unexpected death of a loved one: Cross-national findings from the world mental health surveys.

BACKGROUND: Unexpected death of a loved one (UD) is the most commonly reported traumatic experience in cross-national surveys. However, much remains to be learned about posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after this experience. The WHO World Mental Health (WMH) survey initiative provides a unique opportunity to address these issues. METHODS: Data from 19 WMH surveys (n = 78,023; 70.1% weighted response rate) were collated. Potential predictors of PTSD (respondent sociodemographics, characteristics of the death, history of prior trauma exposure, history of prior mental disorders) after a representative sample of UDs were examined using logistic regression. Simulation was used to estimate overall model strength in targeting individuals at highest PTSD risk. RESULTS: PTSD prevalence after UD averaged 5.2% across surveys and did not differ significantly between high-income and low-middle income countries. Significant multivariate predictors included the deceased being a spouse or child, the respondent being female and believing they could have done something to prevent the death, prior trauma exposure, and history of prior mental disorders. The final model was strongly predictive of PTSD, with the 5% of respondents having highest estimated risk including 30.6% of all cases of PTSD. Positive predictive value (i.e., the proportion of high-risk individuals who actually developed PTSD) among the 5% of respondents with highest predicted risk was 25.3%. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence and meaningful risk of PTSD make UD a major public health issue. This study provides novel insights into predictors of PTSD after this experience and suggests that screening assessments might be useful in identifying high-risk individuals for preventive interventions.