Using the Pan American Health Organization Digital Conversational Agent to Educate the Public on Alcohol Use and Health: Preliminary Analysis.

Background: There is widespread misinformation about the effects of alcohol consumption on health, which was amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic through social media and internet channels. Chatbots and conversational agents became an important piece of the World Health Organization (WHO) response during the COVID-19 pandemic to quickly disseminate evidence-based information related to COVID-19 and tobacco to the public. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) seized the opportunity to develop a conversational agent to talk about alcohol-related topics and therefore complement traditional forms of health education that have been promoted in the past.

The development of the Pan American Health Organization digital health specialist on alcohol use.

Introduction: On 19 November 2021 the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) developed and deployed the first-ever digital health worker dedicated to alcohol-related topics, named Pahola. This paper describes this developmental process and the first results of its uptake and interactions with the public.

Methods: PAHO secured a non-exclusive worldwide license with a technology company to use their Human OS ecosystem, which enables human-like interactions between digital people and users an application.

Implementation fidelity of a Brazilian drug use prevention program and its effect among adolescents: a mixed-methods study.

Background: Based on the US DARE-kiR, a version of the Keepin' it REAL program, the Drug and Violence Resistance Educational Program (PROERD) is the most widely implemented Brazilian prevention program. It originates from the translation of the DARE-kiR, a version of the Keepin' it REAL program. Previous results suggest its inefficiency in preventing drug use among Brazilian adolescents.

The corporate capture of the nutrition profession in the USA: the case of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Objective: The involvement of unhealthy commodity corporations in health policy and research has been identified as an important commercial determinant contributing to the rise of non-communicable diseases. In the USA, health professional associations have been subject to corporate influence. This study explores the interactions between corporations and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), and their implications for the profession in the USA and globally.

Cannabis Industry Marketing Violations in Washington State, 2014-2019.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe marketing violations from the cannabis industry in Washington State.

Method: The study team obtained records of all Washington State cannabis marketing violations from October 2014 to September 2015, immediately following the legal cannabis market opening, and May 2017 to July 2019. A code book was developed based on the Washington State regulations related to marijuana advertising.

Mobile technology and task shifting to improve access to alcohol treatment services in Mozambique.

Introduction: Unhealthy alcohol use (UAU) is a major public health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Mozambique is the fourth poorest country in the world where half of the population lives below the poverty line. UAU is frequent among drinkers in Mozambique; however, resources and infrastructure to treat UAU are very limited.

Alcohol industry, corporate social responsibility and country features in Latin America.

Introduction And Aims: Research on corporate behaviour can contribute to the understanding of the possible adverse impacts of alcohol-industry corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and their potential influence on policymaking. This study explores the association between alcohol-industry CSR activities and selected country features in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Design And Methods: Nine health experts evaluated 148 CSR activities using a standardised protocol; activities were classified into the categories risk management CSR (rmCSR), that is, to avoid/rectify externalities (n = 67), and strategic CSR, that is, to fulfill philanthropic responsibilities (n = 81).

Gender Differences in Gambling Exposure and At-risk Gambling Behavior.

This study aimed to evaluate the differences in gambling exposure and onset of gambling problems among male and female gamblers by comparing their demographic and behavioral profiles. This study utilized data from the gambling section of the First Brazilian National Alcohol Survey and Related Behaviors. Interviews were conducted with 3007 participants who were recruited after screening for at-risk gambling behaviors.

Alcohol misuse among women in Brazil: recent trends and associations with unprotected sex, early pregnancy, and abortion.

Objective: This study compared the rates of binge drinking (BD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) reported for 2006 with those reported for 2012, exploring their associations with unprotected sex, early pregnancy, and abortion in a representative sample of women in Brazilian households.

Methods: This was a descriptive analysis of data from a cross-sectional study involving randomized multistage cluster sampling of the population ≥ 14 years of age. Weighted prevalence rates and odds ratios were estimated, and serial mediation analysis was performed.

Is the alcohol industry doing well by 'doing good'? Findings from a content analysis of the alcohol industry's actions to reduce harmful drinking.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to: (1) describe alcohol industry corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions conducted across six global geographic regions; (2) identify the benefits accruing to the industry ('doing well'); and (3) estimate the public health impact of the actions ('doing good').

Setting: Actions from six global geographic regions.

Participants: A web-based compendium of 3551 industry actions, representing the efforts of the alcohol industry to reduce harmful alcohol use, was issued in 2012.

Hazardous alcohol use among female heads-of-household in rural Mozambique.

Hazardous drinking places individuals at risk for adverse health events, resulting in a major public health burden globally. Patterns of alcohol consumption among women in Africa remain poorly understood. We aimed to describe alcohol consumption in a representative sample of female heads-of-household in Mozambique.

Armed conflict, alcohol misuse, decision-making, and intimate partner violence among women in Northeastern Uganda: a population level study.

Background: Relations among and interactions between exposure to armed conflict, alcohol misuse, low socioeconomic status, gender (in)equitable decision-making, and intimate partner violence (IPV) represent serious global health concerns. Our objective was to determine extent of exposure to these variables and test pathways between these indicators of interest.

Methods: We surveyed 605 women aged 13 to 49 who were randomly selected via multistage sampling across three districts in Northeastern Uganda in 2016.

Alcohol consumption, masculinity, and alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour in sportspeople.

Objectives: There is no research examining alcohol-related aggression and anti-social behaviour in UK or European sportspeople (athletes), and no research has examined relationships between masculinity, alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related aggression and antisocial behaviour in sportspeople (athletes). This study addresses this gap.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Introducing care management to Brazil's alcohol and substance use disorder population.

Brazil has a sizable alcohol and substance use disorder (ASUD) population, yet there are considerable gaps in treatment access and retention. ASUD, a chronic medical condition, is highly comorbid with medical and behavioral health disorders. This indicates a need for more targeted interventions in order to achieve health care integration (a major goal of Brazil's health care system).

Amphetamine-type stimulant use and conditional paths of consumption: data from the Second Brazilian National Alcohol and Drugs Survey.

Objective:: The aim of this study was to estimate nationally representative prevalence rates of amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) use and to identify consumption-associated factors, proposing a conditional model of direct and indirect consumption paths.

Method:: Using data from the Second Brazilian National Alcohol and Drugs Survey, this cross-sectional study analyzed a subsample of 3,828 participants between 15 and 64 years old, gathering information on the use of psychoactive substances in a probabilistic sample of the Brazilian household population.

Results:: Rates of lifetime and last-year ATS use were, respectively, 4.

The Binding Sites of miR-619-5p in the mRNAs of Human and Orthologous Genes.

Background: Normally, one miRNA interacts with the mRNA of one gene. However, there are miRNAs that can bind to many mRNAs, and one mRNA can be the target of many miRNAs. This significantly complicates the study of the properties of miRNAs and their diagnostic and medical applications.

Alcohol Industry Sponsorship of University Student Sports Clubs in Brazil.

Objective: The university sport environment represents an important target for alcohol industry marketing. This study investigated the nature of relationships between the alcohol industry and university student sports clubs (USSCs).

Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with board members from 60 active USSCs in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.