Fernando Mendes

Traffic Risk Behaviors at Nightlife: Drinking, Taking Drugs, Driving, and Use of Public Transport by Young People

Road traffic crashes associated with nightlife alcohol and recreational drug use are a major health problem for young people. Objectives: This study explores use of different forms of transport to and from nightlife environments and the relationships between traffic risk behaviors, drunkenness, and drug consumption. Methods: 1363 regular nightlife users from nine European cities in 2006 completed a self-administered and anonymous questionnaire. Sampling utilized a variation of respondent-driven sampling. Results: Private car was the most frequent form of transport used when going out, especially by males and older individuals. Drug use was related to crashes and traffic risk behaviors, including having a lift from someone drunk or driving drunk or driving having taken drugs; drunkenness was related to risk behaviors but not to crashes (possibly because drunk people tend to use the private car less). Males showed higher levels of drunkenness and drug consumption, traffic risk behaviors, and traffic crashes. Age is not related to the traffic risk behaviors, but older individuals had less crashes. Conclusions: There are serious health problems related to transport and recreational nightlife activities. It is necessary to improve later public transport services, complemented by actions that deter the use of private cars. The relationships of both drunkenness and cannabis/cocaine use with traffic risk behaviors should be addressed and programs implemented to change risk perceptions on the effects of illegal drugs on driving.

Parental permissiveness, control, and affect and drug use among adolescents

BACKGROUND Parents play an important role in determining the risk of childrens drug use. The aim of this study was to analyse how certain family-related variables (permissiveness toward drug use, and parental control and affect) were linked to the use of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis, based on young peoples self-report of such variables. METHOD The sample was composed of 1,428 school children (51.8% males) aged between 11 and 19 from Mallorca (Spain). RESULTS We found that the young people who perceived their parents as permissive and those who perceived less maternal control and higher levels of both paternal and maternal affect were more likely to use alcohol, tobacco and cannabis. Sex differences were found within this pattern. Variables of maternal affect and control were not influential among males, whereas the general pattern was maintained among females. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the importance of perceived permissiveness and the need of considering parents and childrens gender when providing control and affect, as fathers will influence male children whereas mothers will influence female children.

A choice between fun or health? Relationships between nightlife substance use, happiness, and mental well-being

Objective: To examine the substance use behaviours of young adults in Europe and to explore the association with self reported indices of mental well being, and the relative value of health. Method: 1341 16–35-year-olds, representing youth and young adults who routinely engage in nightlife, were surveyed in nine European cities. Participants self-completed questionnaires, designed to gather demographic, social, and behavioural data on historic and current substance use, risk behaviours, and mental well being. Results: Controlling for inter-country differences, we found that early initiation and frequency of use of a range of substances was associated with poorer life satisfaction, suicidal ideation, and hopelessness. Younger, more frequent substance users placed greater value on having fun than maintaining long-term health. Bi/homosexual participants were more likely to report hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, dissatisfaction with life, and preferring fun to health. Younger cocaine initiates were more likely to report considering suicide in the last 12 months than older initiates. Conclusions: These findings confirm the importance of early intervention for young substance users. Whilst our study does not make assumptions on causality, identification of substance use in nightclub attendees may be a good marker of comorbid disorders. It is important to recognize that negative mental states may also partly be a product of lifestyle and socioeconomic factors. Prevention and harm reduction interventions should recognize that the most at risk young people may discount future health gains from reducing their substance use.

Nightlife, verbal and physical violence among young European holidaymakers: what are the triggers?

OBJECTIVES There is an established relationship between nightlife, substance use and violence. This study investigated this relationship when people are on holiday, and explored the differences in experiences between physical and verbal violence. STUDY DESIGN A survey of young tourists at seven airport departure areas in Southern European resorts. METHODS Questionnaires from 6502 British and German tourists were analysed exploring demographics, violence (verbal and physical), substance use, and reasons for resort and venue selection. RESULTS Over two-thirds of respondents reported being drunk on their holiday, 12.4% had been involved in arguments and 2.9% had been involved in fights. Logistic regression highlighted more violence amongst visitors to Mallorca [arguments: adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.7; fights: AOR 2.0] compared with those visiting Portugal, males (arguments: AOR 1.3; fights: AOR 1.7), those who had used illicit drugs (arguments: AOR 1.5; fights: AOR 2.9), those who had been in fights at home in the last 12 months (arguments: AOR 2.2; fights AOR 2.9), and those who had frequently been drunk abroad (arguments: AOR 2.4; fights: AOR 2.5). Those aged 16-19 years, visiting Italy or Crete, who were drunk for fewer than half of the days of their stay, and who chose bars because they were frequented by drunk people were more likely to report having an argument. Fights were associated with cannabis use and were negatively associated with choosing bars with a friendly atmosphere. Economic status or frequency of visiting bars had no relationship with arguments or fights. CONCLUSIONS Understanding and addressing the variables involved in violence when holidaying abroad is critical in targeting appropriate health promotion and harm reduction measures.

Participatory Health Research International Experience from Four Portuguese-Speaking Countries

Thinking about participatory health research (PHR) in Portuguese-speaking countries implies diversity and specifically cultural diversity. Four years after the chapter’s co-authors were integrated into the International Collaboration for Participatory Health Research (ICPHR) network, they decided to reflect on how PHR is emerging in Portuguese-speaking countries. Participatory research builds on co-created knowledge by doing research with people not on them, so it becomes challenging to reflect on the singularities of PHR among Portuguese-speaking projects due to cultural diversity. This chapter presents the reflexive synthesis of nine PHR projects developed in Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, and Portugal using comparative analysis. PHR coordinators were invited to co-author this chapter with the purpose of synthesizing and comparing (i) research design and validity, (ii) participation, and (iii) impact of research and dissemination. The projects were focused on topics such as “partygoer” college and university students, young people living in violent communities, people living with chronic diseases, women without access to cervical cancer screening, and primary health-care practices. These projects revealed PHR “good practices” and the potential to support social change through person-/community-centered services and greater responsiveness/inclusion in the health-care system. The barrier between scientific and lay knowledge must be overcome so that proposals can emphasize the impact of powerlessness in people’s daily lives.

446 Healthy nightlife: eliminate risk, promote protective factors & city resilience (Coimbra, Portugal)

Background Coimbra is certainly among the Portuguese university cities with more nightlife-oriented towards students. The CPTTP and IREFREA–Portugal, are investing, in partnership with other organisations of our city (Health, Education, Security Forces, Municipality, Others sectors) in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention in nightlife settings. This initiative aims to contribute: to identify and eliminate the risk factors associated with (potentially) traumatic situations (intentional and unintentional); to identify and enhance protective factors; to strengthen community resilience. Description of the problem Recreation nightlife plays an important role in students’ lives but also has an intrinsic association to a multitude of risk factors in areas such as sexuality, violence, alcohol and other substances and road driving. According to a survey conducted by IREFREA in Coimbra, in 2014 (sample: 253 men and 184 women, aged between 16 and 43 years old) many of the night goers report that “today” there is more violence and aggression in the night life (60%), more alcohol intoxication (70%) and higher consumption of illegal drugs (43%). 17.6% reported having had road accidents, 21.4% have been hurt by these and 16.9% have had problems with the police. It is also too high a% of individuals who reported having had sex under the influence of alcohol (64.8%). Results More participation, interaction and cooperation between network members; more investment on prevention and investigation; more production and exchange of content; more accession of new “actors” and more interactivity and connectivity. Conclusions Adopting the ecological model, approaching nightlife in a public health perspective, organising care in a multidisciplinary, multisectoral network has contributed to the promotion of more involvement of the “city” aiming the safety and well-being of their citizens.