The New Zealand drug harms ranking study: A multi-criteria decision analysis

AIMS

The harms arising from psychoactive drug use are complex, and harm reduction strategies should be informed by a detailed understanding of the extent and nature of that harm. Drug harm is also context specific, and so any comprehensive assessment of drug harm should be relevant to the characteristics of the population in question. This study aimed to evaluate and rank drug harms within Aotearoa New Zealand using a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework, and to separately consider harm within the total population, and among youth.

METHODS

Two facilitated workshops involved the separate ranking of harm for the total population, and then for youth aged 12-17, by two expert panels. In the total population workshop, 23 drugs were scored against 17 harm criteria, and those criteria were then evaluated using a swing weighting process. Scoring and weighting were subsequently updated during the youth-specific workshop. All results were recorded and analysed using specialised MCDA software.

RESULTS

When considering overall harm, the MCDA modelling results indicated that alcohol, methamphetamine and synthetic cannabinoids were the most harmful to both the overall population and the youth, followed by tobacco in the total population. Alcohol remained the most harmful drug for the total population when separately considering harm to those who use it, and harm to others.

CONCLUSIONS

The results provide detailed and context-specific insight into the harm associated with psychoactive drugs use within Aotearoa New Zealand. The findings also demonstrate the value of separately considering harm for different countries, and for different population subgroups.

A Review of the EUSO-Balloon Pathfinder for the JEM-EUSO Program

EUSO-Balloon is a pathfinder for JEM-EUSO, the mission concept of a spaceborne observatory which is designed to observe Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Ray (UHECR)-induced Extensive Air Showers (EAS) by detecting their UltraViolet (UV) light tracks "from above." On August 25, 2014, EUSO-Balloon was launched from Timmins Stratospheric Balloon Base (Ontario, Canada) by the balloon division of the French Space Agency CNES. After reaching a floating altitude of 38 km, EUSO-Balloon imaged the UV light in the wavelength range ∼290-500 nm for more than 5 hours using the key technologies of JEM-EUSO. The flight allowed a good understanding of the performance of the detector to be developed, giving insights into possible improvements to be applied to future missions. A detailed measurement of the photoelectron counts in different atmospheric and ground conditions was achieved. By means of the simulation of the instrument response and by assuming atmospheric models, the absolute intensity of diffuse light was estimated. The instrument detected hundreds of laser tracks with similar characteristics to EASs shot by a helicopter flying underneath. These are the first recorded laser tracks measured from a fluorescence detector looking down on the atmosphere. The reconstruction of the direction of the laser tracks was performed. In this work, a review of the main results obtained by EUSO-Balloon is presented as well as implications for future space-based observations of UHECRs.

0931 Parenting Stress Can Be Predicted by Parent and Child Sleep, and Can Be Reduced by an Intervention Targeting Child Sleep in Vulnerable Families

Introduction

Studies suggest that family intervention programs should consider different sources of parenting stress (PS). Knowing that child sleep has an impact on PS, this study aimed to examine if a child sleep intervention can affect PS in vulnerable families.

Methods

In a first study, parent and child sleep habits along with PS were assessed using Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and homemade questions assessing child sleep. Measures were administered to 138 community mothers (children 3-79 months). Multiple linear regression analyses examined mothers and child sleep associations to PS, controlled by family income. Following results of this first study, 11 vulnerable mothers (children 39-68 months) participated in a child sleep intervention specifically developed for vulnerable families. Measures administered were the same as for study 1, but in this study, the Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire was used to assess the child sleep. Wilcoxon’s t-test compared pre and post-intervention measures.

Results

In the first study, sleep onset latency (SOL; β= -.25; p= .003), waketime (β= -.28; p= .003) and sleep aids (β= -.19; p= .048) explained 23.6% of PS variance. When child sleep variables were added to the model, only bedtime resistance was significant (β= -.23; p= .023) and increased the explained variance to 30.6%. Following the child sleep intervention, no significant changes in parent sleep were observed. However, results show improvement of child bedtime resistance (Mpre=10.73; Mpost=8.36; p= .027) and PS (Mpre=3.50; Mpost=3.82; p= .05).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that higher PS is explained by greater struggles in parents sleep (higher SOL, later waketime and higher use of sleep aids) as well as bedtime resistance behaviors in children. Furthermore, PS can be reduced by an intervention improving child bedtime resistance, even if parent sleep is not improved.

Support

 

0938 Sleep, Perfectionism and Cognitive Anxiety in Sports: An Exploratory Study

Introduction

Perfectionism has been related to cognitive anxiety in sports. The bidirectional association between sleep and anxiety has also been well studied. However, the relationship between sleep habits, anxiety and perfectionism in physically active young individuals hasn’t been documented yet. This was the objective of the present study.

Methods

150 young, physically active participants (10 to 18 years old; 47% boys, 51% girls) completed an online survey comprised of questions extracted from the Sport Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale-2, the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2R and the Adolescent Sleep Habits Survey. First, independent t-tests were conducted to compare sleep habits, personal standards (PS), perceived parental pressure (PPP) and perceived coach pressure (PCP) of more anxious (ANX) to less anxious (NOANX) participants. Then, stepwise multiple linear regression analyses were computed to examine the significant sleep habits and perfectionism variables associations with competitive cognitive anxiety.

Results

Results show that ANX participants have higher PS (t(148)=3.19, p=0.002), less total sleep time on weekend (TST; t(148)=-2.94, p=0.004), longer sleep onset latency (SOL) on weeknights (t(128.09)=2.28, p=0.03) and report more daytime sleepiness (t(148)=3.06, p=0.003) compared to NOANX participants. The significant sleep variables and PS collectively explained 17.7% of competitive cognitive anxiety variance (p=0.00). PS was the largest predictor (β=0.27, p=0.00), followed by daytime sleepiness (β=0.21, p=0.007), weekend TST (β=-0.17, p=0.023) and weeknight SOL (β=0.16, p=.038).

Conclusion

These results suggest that, even though PS is associated with cognitive anxiety, sleep seem to be an important factor to consider. Specifically, increased daytime sleepiness accompanied by difficulties falling asleep during school nights and no recovery sleep during weekends significantly contribute to competitive cognitive anxiety. These results could have important implications when addressing competitive anxiety issues in young athletes.

Support

N/A

0933 Preschoolers Sleep Explains Parent Cognitions and Parenting Behaviors

Introduction

Children sleep is influenced by biological and socio-environmental factors. The contribution of various bedtime practices on child sleep is now well established. Emerging literature now seeks to understand the influence of more general parenting practices on child sleep. Thus, the current study examined how perceived children needs and parenting behaviors are associated with children sleep.

Methods

In a first study, 88 mothers (children 2-71 months) recruited during community activities completed the Child’s Sleep Habit Questionnaire, as well as a questionnaire regarding child needs (CN) and parents response to those needs (RN). Multiple linear regression analyses examined child sleep associations first to CN and then to RN, controlled by the child developmental score. Following this first study, 12 vulnerable mothers (children 39-68 months) participated in a child sleep intervention specifically developed for vulnerable families. The same measures were administered and Wilcoxon t-tests were calculated to compared pre and post intervention scores.

Results

Daytime sleepiness (β=.26, p=.008), sleep anxiety (β=.29, p=.007) and children cognitive development (β=-.32, p=.008) explained 31,6% of CN variance. Daytime sleepiness (β=.26, p=.03), and bedtime routine (β=-.68, p=.00), explained 20,8% of RN variance. Following the child sleep intervention, no change in CN were obtained, but a significant improvement in RN was found (Mpre=5.28 ± 1.60, Mpost=4.33 ± .65, p=.045).

Conclusion

Results suggest that parents perceived more needs in their child when they present higher daytime sleepiness, higher sleep anxiety and cognitive developmental difficulties. On the other hand, parents have more difficulty responding to their child needs when they see sleepiness in their child or struggle with bedtime routine. A child sleep intervention does not seem to change the perception of child needs but have a positive impact on the parent response to those needs.

Support

 

Methodology to study polymers interaction by surface plasmon resonance imaging

The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique has been primarily used in the field of biology, in particular for the study of antibody-antigen interactions. Recently, polymers were introduced to form inclusion complexes.

We describe here, a methodology based on surface plasmon resonance imaging to study water-resistant and reversible inclusion complexes using systems which are compatible with a cosmetic use. The purpose of this study is to follow in real time the interaction between two polymers.

To carry out this study:

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A biochip based on a covalent binding of one “host polymer” on a gold-activated surface was developed.

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The binding of the host polymer to a guest polymer was monitored.

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The presence of interactions between the β-cyclodextrins groups of the host polymer and the adamantyl functional groups of the guest polymer and the possibility of dissociating the complex were established.

This technique allowed carrying out parallel assays for optimizing the amount of complexes formed, the host polymer being spotted at five concentrations. It was then possible to study the influence of the concentration in host system for two concentrations of the guest polymer. The concentration in the host polymer yielding the highest immobilization of the guest system was further determined.