Alcohol Consumption, Early-Onset Drinking, and Health-Related Consequences in Adolescents Presenting at Emergency Departments in England

Purpose: Globally, alcohol use is the leading cause of ill health and life years lost in adolescents, although its clinical impact is often overlooked, particularly in England where most research is based in schools. This study aims to examine the prevalence of alcohol consumption and the association between alcohol consumption and age of onset with health and social consequences among adolescents presenting to emergency departments (EDs). Methods: Consecutive attenders (n = 5,576) aged 10–17 years at 10 EDs were included. Information was collected on general health and functioning, quality of life, alcohol use, and alcohol-related health and social consequences. Results: Nearly 40% of adolescents reported the consumption of alcohol that was more than a sip in their lifetime. Age of the first alcohol consumption before the age of 15 years was associated with tobacco use (p < .001), lower quality of life (p = .003), and evidence of an alcohol use disorder (p = .002). It was also associated with general social functioning (problems with conduct p = .001 and hyperactivity p = .001) and alcohol-related health and social consequences (accident p = .046, problems with a parent p = .017, school p = .0117, or police p = .012). Conclusions: Rates of alcohol consumption in adolescents presenting to the ED were similar to those reported in schools in England and globally. Associations of alcohol consumption and earlier onset of drinking with poorer health and social functioning were observed. The ED can offer an opportunity for the identification of hazardous alcohol use in adolescents

Perceptions of Police in Neighborhoods Receiving Community-Oriented Policing Services: Community Survey Results from the Restore Rundberg Initiative

The purpose of this survey study was to assess perceptions of police following a community policing intervention as part of a larger revitalization initiative known as Restore Rundberg. A total of 611 surveys were completed by respondents who identified as 58% Latinx, 65% female and 64% as renting their homes. Among the 408 respondents who provided home location data, results of the linear model demonstrated perceptions of police scores were significantly higher among the recipients of the intervention than the comparison group (by + 0.83; F = 6.303, p = 0.013), while controlling for race (F = 1.42, p = 0.237), age (F = 2.84, p = 0.037), homeownership (F = 2.067, p = 0.152), social control (F = 0.63, p = 0.43), and neighborhood attachment (F = 23.57, p \u3c 0.001). The model had an R2 of 0.120, a small to medium effect size (R = 0.346). This study is the result of a community, police, and academic partnership

Methodology and Demographics of a Brief Adolescent Alcohol Screen Validation Study

OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) 2-question alcohol screen within 16 Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network pediatric emergency departments. This article describes the study methodology, sample characteristics, and baseline outcomes of the NIAAA 2-question screen. METHODS:Participants included 12- to 17-year-olds treated in one of the participating pediatric emergency departments across the United States. After enrollment, a criterion assessment battery including the NIAAA 2-question screen and other measures of alcohol, drug use, and risk behavior was self-administered by participants on a tablet computer. Two subsamples were derived from the sample. The first subsample was readministered the NIAAA 2-question screen 1 week after their initial visit to assess test-retest reliability. The second subsample is being reassessed at 12 and 24 months to examine predictive validity of the NIAAA 2-question screen. RESULTS:There were 4834 participants enrolled into the study who completed baseline assessments. Participants were equally distributed across sex and age. Forty-six percent of the participants identified as white, and 26% identified as black. Approximately one quarter identified as Hispanic. Using the NIAAA 2-question screen algorithm, approximately 8% were classified as low risk, 12% were classified as moderate risk, and 4% were classified as highest risk. Alcohol use was less likely to be reported by black participants, non-Hispanic participants, and those younger than 16 years. DISCUSSION:This study successfully recruited a large, demographically diverse sample to establish rates of the NIAAA screen risk categories across age, sex, ethnicity, and race within pediatric emergency departments