Pathways to ecstasy use in young adults: Anxiety, depression or behavioural deviance?

Aims: To investigate pathways to ecstasy use disorders from pre-birth to early adulthood with particular attention to the relationship between early depressive and anxiety symptoms and later ecstasy use disorders

Drinking water fluoridation in South East Queensland: a cost-effectiveness evaluation

The aim of this study is to examine cost-effectiveness of fluoridation of drinking water supplies for Brisbane and South East Queensland. The benefits conveyed are expressed in reduced costs of dental treatment and years of life with dental caries as a disability.The analysis utilises a developed life table modelling initial cohort of 36,322 newborns, which when applied to the target population equals to 181,925 persons in the age group 2-100 years, 338,617 persons in the age group 7-100 years and 390,524 persons in the age group 12-100 years respectively. The analysis was conducted using a real discount rate of 3%. Sensitivity analyses investigated the effects of varying the parameters such as: discount rate, costs of dental treatment and costs of fluoridation plant. Uncertainty analysis was also conducted on costs and the measure of ratio of decayed, missing, filled teeth surfaces in deciduous dentition between the cities of Brisbane (non-fluoridated) and Townsville (fluoridated).If fluoridation was implemented there would be a total saving of $10,437.43 (95$ 665,686,529 (95% CI -$973,573,625-$381,322,176). This result is both desirable and dominant as more DALYs are saved along with significant cost savings.Fluoridation remains still a very cost-effective measure for reducing dental decay

Predictors of young adults' amphetamine use and disorders: A prospective study

Introduction and Aims. Understanding the risk factors that predict amphetamine use and development of amphetamine abuse or dependence (disorder) may help guide preventive interventions. This study aimed to investigate the correlates and predictors of young adults' amphetamine use and use disorders. Design and Methods. Prospective cohort, population-based study which started in Brisbane, South East Queensland (Australia) in 1981. The study participants were a cohort of 2042 young adults, followed up from birth to young adulthood. At the 21-year follow-up, amphetamine use was assessed via a self-report questionnaire, and amphetamine use disorder (AUD) was assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-Auto). Potential predictors (15 risk factors) were assessed between baseline (antenatal visit) and the 21-year follow-up. These included participant's gender, mother's age and education, maternal marital status and quality of marital relationship, maternal tobacco and alcohol consumption, mother-child communication, child mental health and problem behaviours, child smoking and alcohol consumption and child school performance. Results. Young adult amphetamine users were more likely to have concurrent symptoms of mental illness and problem behaviours and to use or abuse cigarettes, cannabis, or other illicit drugs. In multivariate analyses, young adults' amphetamine use and disorder were disproportionately more common among males and those who have prospectively reported aggression/delinquency or smoking at 14 years, or who have experienced childhood sexual abuse. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that problem behaviours, smoking and childhood sexual abuse are predictors of initiation to use of amphetamines and development of amphetamine abuse and dependence. [Hayatbakhsh MR, Najman JM, Bor W, Williams GM. Predictors of young adults' amphetamine use and disorders: A prospective study. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009]

Cigarette smoking and age of menopause: a large prospective study

Objectives: One of the possible consequences of tobacco consumption is that it contributes to an earlier age of menopause, though the causal relationship is yet to be confirmed. This study aimed to examine the prospective association between smoking and earlier age of menopause in a cohort of middle age Australian women after adjustment for a number of potential confounders

A review of psychological and pharmacological treatment options for methamphetamine dependence

Methamphetamine (MA) is a public health problem both in Australia and internationally and very little is known about the most cost-effective treatment options. This study is a review of recent studies and an assessment of current treatment options for MA dependence. Treatment options for MA dependence can be divided into outpatient and inpatient modality settings according to the level of drug use. Moderate improvements through higher rates of retention in treatment (especially residential rehabilitation) have been found in individuals who completed either cognitive-behavioural therapy or counselling as a form of outpatient treatment and in those users who completed a residential rehabilitation treatment programme at an inpatient treatment modality. There remains a need for further research to investigate the efficacy of existing treatment options in individuals with MA use problems and to address the economic impact of those interventions in terms of cost-effectiveness/cost utility

Early life course predictors of young adults' gambling

This study examined the association between a wide range of factors and young adults' gambling. Data were from the Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy. The study is based on 3691 individuals for whom data were available on self-report gambling and gambling expenditure at the 21-year follow-up. Independent variables were measured at the baseline and 14-year follow-up. Adolescents who smoked cigarettes, exhibited externalizing problems, performed poorly at high school or experienced childhood sexual abuse were more likely to gamble or spend more money on gambling at 21 years. While it is uncertain whether early interventions for those individuals who start to use substances at an early age or face difficulties due to family circumstances will impact on rates of gambling, research should examine whether intervention programmes that target modifiable factors such as adolescent school performance and externalizing behaviour reduce later gambling

Association of breastfeeding and adolescents' psychopathology: a large prospective study

Purpose: There is little known about the association between breastfeeding and long-term child psychopathology. This study aimed to examine the impact of breastfeeding on child mental health and problem behavior at 14 years and whether this association is confounded by other variables

Timing and chronicity of family poverty and development of unhealthy behaviors in children: A longitudinal study

Purpose: To examine the impact of the timing and duration of family experiences of poverty over the child/adolescent early life course on child aggressive/delinquent behavior and tobacco and alcohol consumption