Publications by authors named "M L Swahn"

The objective of this paper is to address the scarcity of research on alcohol marketing exposure and underage drinking in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines perceptions of alcohol advertisements and perceived peer, adult, and parental attitudes regarding alcohol use and intentions to drink among vulnerable youth. The Kampala Youth Survey is a cross-sectional study conducted in 2014 with service-seeking youth (ages 12-18 years) living in the slums of Kampala (n=1,134) who were participating in Uganda Youth Development Link drop-in centers.

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In northern Tanzania, alcohol use disorders (AUD) are under-diagnosed and under-treated, and current services are mostly limited to men in clinical settings despite significant alcohol-related harm in the community. The study objective was to identify sex differences in alcohol use and alcohol-related harms within and across community and clinical settings. This was a congruent triangulation mixed methods study consisting of focus group discussions (FGDs) and cross-sectional surveys.

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Background: Individuals in Uganda's urban slums have unmet mental health needs due to limited healthcare infrastructure, poor environmental conditions, and extreme poverty. Researchers often use wearable devices to measure factors associated with mental health including sleep, physical activity, and exposure to environmental stressors. However, the use of wearables for research purposes in low-resource settings is limited.

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Article Synopsis
  • Alcohol consumption contributes to around 3 million deaths globally each year, and healthcare professionals are particularly at risk for alcohol use disorders due to their high-stress work environment.
  • * The prevalence of alcohol use disorders among healthcare workers has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a significant lack of research focusing on this issue in low- and middle-income countries.
  • * To combat this problem, comprehensive interventions that integrate screening, prevention, and treatment within primary healthcare and support systems are essential for improving the well-being of healthcare professionals and enhancing patient care.
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This study sought to determine the level of concordance between self-reported alcohol use and the presence of its urinary ethyl glucuronide (EtG) metabolite in women living in urban Kampala. In 2023, we recruited 300 young women, ages 18 to 24 years, to participate in a prospective cohort study across three sites in urban Kampala (i.e.

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