Promoting drug abuse preventive behaviors in adolescent students based on the health belief model

Predictors of self-assessed likelihood of future drug use among Korean adults: the role of health beliefs and personality traits

Substance use is a growing public health concern in South Korea. However, research on the predictive factors influencing future drug use remains limited. This study examined the self-assessed likelihood of future drug use in a sample of 3,000 Korean adults aged 19-59 years, focusing on health beliefs and personality traits as predictors. Using multiple regression analysis based on the health belief model (HBM) and selected personality traits, we explored how perceived susceptibility, self-efficacy, hope for the future, and sensation-seeking influence the likelihood of drug use. The results indicated that demographic factors such as sex, age, and income had limited predictive power. In contrast, past drug use and recent violence-related trauma significantly increased the likelihood of future drug use. Higher perceived susceptibility was associated with an increased likelihood of drug use, whereas greater self-efficacy was associated with a reduced likelihood. Among the personality traits, hope for the future was found to decrease, and sensation-seeking to increase the likelihood of drug use. This study underscores the need for interventions to enhance self-control and reduce drug accessibility. However, limitations such as reliance on self-reported data and a cross-sectional design suggest the need for longitudinal studies and culturally adapted measures in future research. These advances are crucial for validating and extending these findings, ultimately contributing to more effective drug prevention strategies.

Delving into the Elements Impacting Treatment Acceptance among patients with Substance Use Disorder using Health Belief Model: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Substance abuse has become a significant public health issue in Iraq, fueled by economic slowdown, and high unemployment rates. Treatment acceptance among Iraqi patients with substance use disorder remains poorly understood.

OBJECTIVES

The study aimed to explore in-depth the factors influencing treatment acceptance among patients with substance use disorder (SUD).

METHODS

This qualitative study included face-to-face semi-structured interviews with patients having SUD relying on the Health Belief Model. Convenience sampling was employed to interview patients from the two specialized treatment centers in Baghdad between Nov. 2023 through Feb 2024. Thematic analysis was used to identify recurring themes and sub-themes.

RESULTS

Thirty-three patients from both genders (27 male and 6 female) were recruited in this study. Most (60.6%) of participants had primary school education and 63.6% of them were low-income workers. Ninety-one percent abused Crystal (Methamphetamine). Interviews showed patients have good adherence to treatment. Four domains of the Health Belief Model were strongly connected with the patient motivation to initial engagement and adherence to treatment. The patients perceived benefits for treatment (improving physical and mental health and restoration of family relationships), cues to action (a national program about cured cases and influences of family, friends and legal issues), good subjective norm (support from family during hospitalization), and facilitating conditions (maintaining privacy, availability of free treatment, and governmental financial assistance to recovered patients). On the other hand, perceived barriers were an obstacle to seeking treatment including lack of awareness about treatment centers, fear of legal consequences, and psychological barriers. Additionally, patients had high susceptibility to relapse which prevents long-lasting recovery from substance abuse due to high accessibility and affordability of drugs.

CONCLUSION

The majority of patients adhered to their treatment plans well due to perceived benefit of treatment, perceived severity of SUD, positive subject norms, and alarming cues to action The HBM successfully explains the factors that influence treatment acceptance among patients with SUD. Increasing treatment acceptability among patients with SUD requires addressing existing barriers (lack of awareness about treatment centers, addiction enjoyment, and fear of legal consequences) and improving the facilitating factors. Extensive awareness campaigns and providing accessible treatment facilities can increase treatment acceptance. Health officials can enable more patients to make responsible choices of getting treatment and overcoming addiction by establishing additional drug-abuse treatment centers across the nation. Finally, the findings of this study can help health authorities in the region to identify potential factors affecting patients with SUD willingness to accept treatment.

Development and Validation of a Questionnaire for Assessing Drug Use Motives in the General Population in South Korea

Drug use is increasing in South Korea, necessitating evidence-based policy interventions. However, there is a dearth of reliable tools for identifying the personal and psychological factors that drive drug use among Korean adults. In this study, we developed and validated an instrument based on a motivational model to measure drug use motivation in the Korean context. A survey was administered online to 250 Korean adults aged 19-59. Of the initial 37 potential items evaluated, 23 were retained after exploratory factor analysis. Based on their relevance and factor loadings, the final scale consisted of 15 items distributed across five distinct factors: enhancement, coping, social, positive expectancy, and negative expectancy. Confirmatory factor analysis validated the strong fit of the five-factor model. Criterion-related validity was demonstrated by the significant correlations between the five factors and the selected criterion variables. This instrument can be used in research initiatives related to drug addiction and can provide basic data for policy interventions intended to curb drug addiction problems in South Korea. The novelty and broad applicability of this instrument make it invaluable for exploring the psychological underpinnings of drug use in South Korea.

Adolescents' and young adults' perceptions of risks and benefits differ by type of cannabis products

INTRODUCTION

Cannabis use patterns among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) have changed recently, with increasing use of non-combustible cannabis products. Little is known about perceived risks or benefits related to non-combustible products (e.g., vaporized and edible cannabis). We examined whether AYAs' perceived risks and benefits differ across four cannabis products, and by use status.

METHODS

We conducted a survey of 433 California AYAs (M_age = 18.9 years old, 66.5% females) during 2017-2018. We compared a variety of perceived risks and benefits corresponding to short-term and long-term use of each product (combustible, blunt, vaporized, and edible cannabis), and between ever and never users.

RESULTS

Participants perceived combustible cannabis and blunts conferred the greatest risk for short-term (bad cough, trouble catching breath) and long-term (lung disease, oral and lung cancer, and heart attack) health outcomes and short-term social risks (friends upset, getting into trouble). These products were also perceived to have greater short-term and long-term benefits (i.e., reducing mental health problems) than vaporized and edible cannabis. The most common perceived risks were "get into trouble" and "become addicted." The most common benefits were "feel high or buzzed" and "feel less anxious." Ever cannabis users perceived less risks and greater benefits related to cannabis use than never users.

CONCLUSIONS

AYAs differentially perceived risks and benefits related to use of four cannabis products. Public health and education efforts should address both perceived and real risks and benefits of specific cannabis products to prevent cannabis use among AYAs.

Efficacy of Health Beliefs Model-Based Intervention in Changing Substance Use Beliefs among Mosul University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Substance use disorders (SUD) are a significant health concern worldwide. Substance abuse is a persistent problem linked to high rates of illness and loss. These issues are also responsible for many healthcare workers and health bills. However, the Substance use problems are associated with capitalize health retrogradation, weakness and death due to impacts and exceed. Throughout Iraq, there is growing concern about the effects of violence and war on drug use. To see how effective HBM-based intervention is at changing college students' health beliefs about drug usage. Using a randomized controlled trial approach, experimental design is carried out throughout the current study to determine the efficacy of health beliefs model-based intervention in changing the belief related to substance use among university students in Mosul City from 26-November 2019 to 1-March 2021. The study sample consisted of 80 students who participated in the training program for behavioral change. The intervention for the experimental group involved a health education lecture about substance use. Analyzed data using SPSS, Version 23 using both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (Means, SD, Number and percentage). These results revealed statistically significant differences among all concepts of the Health Belief Model related to substance use, adding to behavioral motivation, behavioral control and intention) overtime. On the contrary, the perceived barrier was the only belief that showed no significant changes over time. According to the findings, the design of an HBM-based study could impact students' cognition and conduct in the field of drug dependence. Given the positive association across HBM dimensions and pupils' opinions, notably in "significant advantages and regarded harshness," These beliefs seemed to have a strong connection to each other and the avoidance of alcoholism. Keywords: Efficacy, Health Beliefs Model, Belief, Substance Use, Students.

The effect of patient education based on health belief model on hospital readmission preventive behaviors and readmission rate in patients with a primary diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome: a quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND

The health belief model is one of the applicable methods of training health preventive behaviors, especially in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of patient education based on the health belief model on readmission preventive behaviors and readmission rate in patients with a primary diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome.

METHODS

The present quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2020 on patients with a primary diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome who were discharging from Seyed Al-Shohada Hospital, Urmia, Iran. In this study, a total of 70 samples were recruited using convenience sampling and then randomly assigned to two groups of intervention and control (n = 35 in each group). A total of 7 face-to-face group training sessions were held with the participation of the patients and one of their family members during 14 days after hospital discharge. These sessions were conducted along with concentration on the structures of the health belief model. Data were collected at three time points of immediately before, one month, and three months after the intervention using a demographic questionnaire, a researcher-made questionnaire of readmission preventive behaviors in cardiovascular diseases, and a checklist of hospital readmission. Data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 17.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Ill., USA).

RESULTS

The results showed that there was a statistically significant difference in the mean score of preventive behaviors between the two groups at time points of one month and three months after the intervention (p < .05). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the readmission rate between the two groups after the intervention (p > .05).

CONCLUSION

Health belief model-based education was shown to be effective on readmission preventive behaviors in patients with acute coronary syndrome, although this model had no effect on the readmission rate in these patients. Other factors affecting the readmission rate are recommended to be investigated.

Ex-Drug Users' and Health Professionals' Perspectives About School-Based Drug Use Prevention Programs: A Qualitative Study

Adolescents have become a prime target for drug dealers in various countries around the world, including in Indonesia. To reduce the high number of drug users amongst adolescents, effective drug prevention programs should be developed and implemented. The present study aimed to identify effective school-based drug prevention programs for adolescents from the perspectives of former drug users and health professionals. This qualitative research used Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to collect the data. The study participants consisted of eight Ex-Drug Users (EDUs) and eight Health Professionals (HPs) from health educational institutions and health service settings that were selected through purposive sampling. Data analysis was performed using the qualitative content analysis. Five themes were identified from both EDUs and HPs, including the negative effects of drugs, the socialization of drug abuse, the rehabilitation of drug addicts, the partner collaboration, and the obstacles in preventing drug use. All participants agreed that the drug prevention programs such as school-based drug prevention programs are necessary in order to minimize the adverse effects of drug use. While EDUs tended to focus on the social and psychological effects of drugs, the HPs were more inclined toward the risks of diseases, social impacts, and economic problems of the drugs as the reasons for program importance. In terms of the intervention programs, both EDUs and HPs proposed conducting socialization through the use of active methods and agreed that rehabilitation as an effective way for addict students. Also, both groups of participants agreed on the significance of internal and external support, as well as coordination and collaboration to produce an effective and quality program. While the EDUs cited external factors as the main obstacle to the success of program implementation, the HPs mentioned internal factors of the users. School-based drug prevention programs are an important and potentially effective strategy to reduce the use and the effects of drug use among adolescents. The support of various relevant stakeholders is needed to further increase the effectiveness of the programs and eliminate possible barriers to the implementation of the intervention programs.

Psychological, social, and motivational factors in persons who use drugs

BACKGROUND

Persons who use drug need family and society's support in the process of treatment and rehabilitation. Therefore, it is imperative to determine the psychological, social, and motivational factors that can help them in the treatment process. The present study was an attempt to determine the relationship between psychological, social, and motivational factors and the demographics of persons who use drugs (PWUD).

METHODS

An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out. TCU psychological functioning and motivation scales for the PWUD was first translated into Farsi and validated after securing permission from the copyright holder of the tool. Participants were 250 PWUDs under methadone therapy who were selected through convenient sampling. Before analyzing the collected data, validity and reliability of the tool were confirmed using confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses. Given the scale of demographical data, descriptive and analytic statistics were used to analyze the relationship between demographical variables and psychological, social, and motivational factors.

RESULTS

The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that out of 83 statements in the original questionnaire, 55 statements categorized into 11 aspects were usable for Iranian population. The results showed that gender, income, and marital status affect psychological functioning of the PWUD (P < 0.05). However, education level, place of residence, and type of drug and consumption did not have a significant relationship with social functioning of the participants (p > 0.05). There was a significant relationship between age, number of children, and history of using drug and psychological functioning of the participants (P < 0.01). The results showed that the demographics did not have a notable effect on the participants' motivation for treatment; only marital status had a significant relationship with the participants' treatment readiness (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

As the results showed, the demographical variables could affect physical, psychological, and social functioning in the participants.