Russian Federation university student alcohol use: Smolensk City-a case example.

Alcohol use that causes damage to health and adverse events is a significant public health concern. However, there is a dearth of information about alcohol use among Russian Federation university students. This cross sectional study of 626 students examined their background characteristics, alcohol use, heavy drinking and related problem behavior. Males were more inclined to use alcohol and drink heavily than females; however, no other gender related behavior differences were found. Regression analysis showed heavy drinking more prevalent among students who worked, lived on campus, missed class because of party habits, smoked cigarettes, mixed alcohol and energy drinks, and drank more because of stress. Study findings contribute to usable information for promoting university student health and well-being including academic success through policy and prevention practices as well as for examining the issue elsewhere for comparison and generalization purposes.

Religiosity as a Substance Use Protective Factor Among Female College Students.

Research exists about religiosity as a substance use protective factor. However, there is little attention of this issue regarding Israeli female college students. Undergraduate religious and secular students were studied. Religious students reported lower last month tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and non-medical prescription drug use. Secular females who smoked, missed class because of party habits and reported easy access to cannabis had a higher probability of binge drinking. This study contributes to knowledge about religiosity and college student substance use, and it provides useful information for their mental health and well-being.

Testing the nicotine dependence measure mFTQ for adolescent smokers: A multinational investigation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: As a measure of nicotine dependence among adolescent smokers, the modified Fagerström Tolerance Questionnaire (mFTQ; seven items), has been successfully used in the United States (USA). Nonetheless, the validity and reliability of mFTQ at the international level is still needed. The current study is the first to test the validity and reliability of mFTQ in four countries: Thailand, Spain, the USA, and Russia. METHODS: In a cross-sectional survey, mFTQ, risk factors of nicotine dependence, and sociodemographic characteristics were assessed. Risk factors included age of first cigarette, frequency of alcohol use, frequency of marijuana use, and number of cigarettes smoked yesterday. Salivary cotinine was also obtained in Thailand and Spain. RESULTS: For all four countries, mFTQ exhibited a single factor structure, as supported by previous work in the USA. For all studied countries except Thailand, mFTQ presented acceptable internal reliability. Overall, risk factors of nicotine dependence have predicted mFTQ scores across countries. Frequency of alcohol use in the USA and frequency of marijuana use in Thailand and Spain were not associated with mFTQ scores. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: mFTQ is a single-factor measure of nicotine dependence that shows acceptable internal consistency and validity across countries. Further work can advance the scale and tailor it to different cultures. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: mFTQ can be a clinically practical international measure of nicotine dependence. This study provides initial support for the utility of the mFTQ among Thai, Spanish, American, and Russian adolescents. Further research is needed to test and advance mFTQ across cultures. (Am J Addict 2017;26:689-696).

Quality of life among former Soviet Union and Israeli origin methadone users.

A common treatment intervention for heroin addiction is methadone maintenance. In recent years a wider perspective has been adapted to understand and evaluate addiction through quality of life. This article examines quality of life conditions of 170 male former Soviet Union and Israeli origin drug users in methadone maintenance and provides an understanding of conditions linked to the World Health Organization Quality of Life project's best available techniques reference document. Having a partner or spouse and less chronic illness are positive factors affecting quality of life regardless of country of origin. Israeli born drug users reported better quality of life based on their psychological health and environment domain responses; no difference was found for the physical health and social relationship domains of the Israeli and former Soviet Union origin males. Because heroin addiction is a chronic and relapsing illness, one of the goals of methadone maintenance is to address patients' health status from a broad perspective. Based on clinical observations, the treatment of special populations may be enhanced if their particular needs are considered and met. Quality of life factors are relevant for assessing high risk groups, including those from different ethnic origins, in poor physical and psychological health, their treatment and personal adjustment, and their service personnel training needs.

Cannabis Use Among High-Risk Youth in Israel (2004-2011): An Examination of Gender and Country of Origin Status.

PROBLEM: Scant knowledge exists about high-risk adolescents who are school dropouts in treatment for substance abuse. PURPOSE: This study aims to examine the patterns of cannabis (i.e., marijuana and hashish) use among school dropouts receiving substance abuse treatment based on their gender and country of origin status (i.e., Israeli and former Soviet Union-FSU). METHODS: A total of 628 dropouts referred to a residential substance abuse treatment facility in Israel from 2004 to 2011 were studied. Chi-square and t test analyses were used to determine the impact of gender and country of origin status on cannabis use. FINDINGS: Significant differences exist for age of first, lifetime, and last 30-day cannabis use. FSU youths begin cannabis at an earlier age. Cannabis use tends to be higher among males and those with Israeli country of origin status. Furthermore, cannabis use among dropouts is much higher than those attending school. CONCLUSIONS: Gender and country of origin status have implications that should be of concern to healthcare professionals treating adolescent substance abuse. Further research is needed to validate the study findings both in Israel and other countries for policy, training, and treatment purposes.

Ethiopian origin high-risk youth: a cross-cultural examination of alcohol use, binge drinking, and problem behavior.

Alcohol use among underage youth has a major impact on public health, accidents, fatalities, and other problem behaviors. In Israel, alcohol use, binge drinking, and related problem behaviors are a growing concern. The purpose of this study was to examine underserved and underreported Ethiopian origin youth by comparing their substance use patterns and behavior with other high-risk youth. Data were collected from a purposive sample of boys of Ethiopian, former Soviet Union, and Israeli origin who were receiving treatment for drug use. Youth were asked to complete a simply worded self-report questionnaire developed for monitoring substance use and related problem behaviors. Ethiopian youth reported higher rates of family unemployment and public welfare dependence, last 30-day consumption of beer and hard liquor, serious fighting, and achievement decline when in school compared with the other youths. Findings highlight the need for ethno-cultural specific prevention and intervention efforts and further research of this high-risk, underserved group of immigrant origin youth.

COVID-19 Fear Impact on Israeli and Maltese Female "Help" Profession Students.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the impact of COVID-19 fear on the well-being of Israeli and Maltese female "help" profession (e.g., social work and psychology) undergraduate students. This cross-national comparison includes factors of depression, anxiety, anger, loneliness, nervousness, substance use, eating behavior, burnout, and resilience. The study hypothesis is that country status, even with different social-cultural characteristics including religiosity, is not a significant factor associated with COVID-19 fear impact on select behavioral characteristics of female university students. METHODS: A total of 453 female "help" profession students completed an online survey from January to July 2021. Various statistical methods of analysis including regression were used for this study. RESULTS: The mean COVID-19 fear scores were the same among Israeli and Maltese students. Resilience was found to be higher among Israeli females; burnout was found to be higher among those from Malta. Substance use (i.e., tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, stimulants, or prescription drugs) in the last month was reported by 77.2% of the respondents. No significant differences were found for previous-month substance use based on country status. Regardless of country, respondents who reported more previous-month substance use had higher COVID-19 fear and burnout scores, as well as lower resilience. Due to COVID-19, most respondents (74.3%) reported deterioration of their psycho-emotional well-being in the last month; however, no significant differences were found based on country and religiosity statuses. Furthermore, no significant differences were found for eating behavior changes and weight increase based on country and religiosity statuses. CONCLUSION: Study findings showed the impact of COVID-19 fear on the well-being of Israeli and Maltese female "help" profession undergraduate students. This study examined only female students; however, additional research is needed to address male students and their experiences. Prevention and treatment intervention measures aimed to increase resilience and decrease burnout, including those that can be made available on campus, should be thought about by university administration personnel and student association leaders in consultation with mental health professionals.

Ethnicity and inhalant use among high risk adolescents in Israel.

Inhalant use among 540 high-risk Israeli adolescents was studied from 2004 to 2010. The majority of study participants were of Israeli and Former Soviet Union descent. Study information was collected prior to receiving residential drug treatment. Over the 7-year study, men and women reported similar patterns of age of first, lifetime, and past 30-day inhalant use. Former Soviet Union adolescents began inhalant use at a younger age. The rate of Israeli girls' lifetime use was higher than that reported by Israeli boys and Former Soviet Union girls. Israeli adolescents reported a higher rate of past 30-day use than those from the Former Soviet Union. Study participants reported a higher rate of lifetime use than those attending school in Israel, the United States, and England. Logistic regression analysis showed that age, ethnic status (i.e., country of origin), alcohol use, and pattern of daily activity (i.e., hanging around) were significantly linked to past 30-day inhalant use. Further research for public health and safety reasons is needed about inhalant use that is an international concern.

Gaming Disorder and Psycho-Emotional Wellbeing among Male University Students and Other Young Adults in Israel.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the impact of gaming and gaming disorder on the wellbeing of Israeli male university students and other adults. Gaming disorder (i.e., persistent, and recurrent gaming activity associated with a lack of control that may be clinically diagnosed) was determined using the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF). Survey participants were recruited from gaming associations, clubs and the gaming community using Facebook. Data were collected in June 2022. A total of 526 males completed the survey (30.9% university students and 69.1% other young adults). Various statistical methods of analysis including regression were used for this study. Significant study group differences revealed university students with more indications of gaming disorder, more burnout, less loneliness, more stimulant (i.e., Ritalin) use, a greater consumption of salt- and/or sugar-loaded foods and lower economic wellbeing. The levels of resilience (i.e., the ability to recover from stress), substance use (e.g., tobacco and alcohol) and weight gain were similar for the two groups. Regression analysis showed gaming disorder as a key predictor of burnout, economic wellbeing and resilience. This study examined only male gamers because of the small number of female respondents. However, additional research is needed about female internet gamers, including their possible exposure to online harassment and sexual degradation. Additionally, additional research should be considered to verify the present study's findings about gamers based on demographic factors and gaming disorder levels. Prevention and treatment intervention measures, including those that can be made available on campus, should be thought about by university administration personnel and student association leaders in consultation with professionals who are experienced in reducing gaming disorder and other harmful behaviors among students.

COVID-19 Fear in Eastern Europe: Validation of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale.

COVID-19 is a major source of fear, stress, and anxiety as well as a major factor impacting the health and wellbeing of people worldwide. The present study builds on the recently developed "Fear of COVID-19 Scale" (Ahorsu et al., In International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 10.1007/s11469-020-00270-8, 2020). The sample comprised of 850 participants, male and female young adults from Russia and Belarus. The majority of survey participants are university students and graduates. Females, students, and others from Russia report higher levels of COVID-19-related fear than those from Belarus. Respondents from Russia and Belarus report less fear than people from Iran who were surveyed earlier. The scale used for the present survey evidenced a good Cronbach's Alpha measure of internal consistency or reliability (0.809). Clearly, further research is needed across locations and over time about the nature and extent of fear caused by COVID 19. Overall, the FCV-19S appears to be a valuable and brief instrument that may provide useful information for intervention and policy purposes to migrate fear and problem behavior linked to infectious disease outbreaks.

Cross national comparison of medical students' attitudes and beliefs about medical cannabis and its application for pain management.

OBJECTIVES: To examine attitudes and beliefs about medical cannabis (MC), and specifically about its application for pain management, across medical students in Israel and Thailand. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey which measured attitudes and beliefs about MC. Participants were additionally asked to rate the perceived efficacy of MC for different medical conditions that are related to pain (arthritis, chronic pain, fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis). Pearson's Chi-squared test was used to compare between students from the participating universities. RESULTS: 430 medical students participated, 37.9 % (n = 163) from Israel and 62.1 % (n = 267) from Thailand. Personal cannabis use was reported by 55.6 % of the Israeli and only by 6.9 % of the Thai students (p < .001). Israeli secular students, compared to those from Thailand, were more likely to recommend MC for patient treatment, less concerned about serious physical and mental health risks, and more inclined to support legalization of recreational cannabis. Israeli students reported more permissive attitudes toward MC, but reported feeling less prepared to answer patient/client questions about MC than their Thai counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study accentuate the need for curriculum designed around MC use to promote students' preparedness to serve patients in pain or with other medical conditions that may benefit from MC use.

Attitudes and beliefs about medical cannabis among social work students: Cross-national comparison.

OBJECTIVES: Worldwide, considerable attention is being given to cannabis use for medical conditions. In the current study, we sought to assess attitudes and beliefs about MC among social work students from the US and Israel. METHODS: We sought to assess attitudes and beliefs about MC among a sample of 417 social work students (230 from the US and 187 from Israel) who voluntarily participated in an anonymous online survey. Chi-square tests were used to analyze differences between groups. RESULTS: Most of the US and Israeli participants (84.3 % and 96.7 %, respectively) reported no formal education about MC; and, they would recommend MC for their clients. Participants who reported any cannabis use, compared to non-users, were more likely to believe MC could benefit physical or mental health and less inclined to believe use of the substance poses serious physical or mental health risks. Secular, compared to religious students, believed it has more benefits for physical and/or mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings evidence a considerable dearth of formal evidence-based education about cannabis for medical conditions in two university-based cohorts, despite beliefs in MC as useful for physical and mental health conditions. Efforts to develop curricula and training programs for social work students are needed since they will be among key professionals addressing client needs from health care and counseling perspectives.

Foreign Medical Students in Eastern Europe: Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs about Medical Cannabis for Pain Management.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of foreign students toward the use of medical cannabis (MC) for pain management. METHODS: This study uses data collected from 549 foreign students from India (n = 289) and Middle Eastern countries mostly from Egypt, Iran, Syria, and Jordan (n = 260) studying medicine in Russia and Belarus. Data collected from Russian and Belarusian origin medical students (n = 796) were used for comparison purposes. Pearson's chi-squared and t-test were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Foreign students' country of origin and gender statuses do not tend to be correlated with medical student responses toward medical cannabis use. Students from Russia and Belarus who identified as secular, compared to those who were religious, reported more positive attitudes toward medical cannabis and policy change. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to examine the attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs toward medical cannabis among foreign students from India and Middle Eastern countries studying in Russia and Belarus, two countries who oppose its recreational and medicine use. Indian and Middle Eastern students, as a group, tend to be more supportive of MC than their Russian and Belarusian counterparts. These results may be linked to cultural and historical reasons. This study provides useful information for possible medical and allied health curriculum and education purposes.

Attitudes and knowledge about medical cannabis among Israeli and American nursing students.

BACKGROUND: Although medical cannabis regulations are emerging in many places around the world, a contentious conundrum remains within the medical establishment regarding the appropriate part that cannabis may have in the provision of health care. Nurses have an indispensable role in the care management of patients, and given the consideration of cannabis as a possible treatment, they are warranted to be aware of its medical properties, as well as to be able to adequately answer patient queries. Nevertheless, very little is currently known about nurses' perceptions related to medical cannabis. OBJECTIVE: To assess attitudes, beliefs and knowledge about medical cannabis among nursing students. METHODS: Cross-sectional study in two universities: Rutgers University (RU) in New Jersey and Ben Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel. In addition to demographic data, the survey instrument included questions about attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and training. RESULTS: Overall, 387 students participated, mainly females (87.8%). The vast majority from both sub-groups stated they would recommend cannabis to their patients if allowed to do so (91.2%), and were in agreement that medical cannabis is associated with significant benefits for physical (93.5%) and mental (87.8%) health. Compared to the BGU sub-group, more students from RU stated that they feel prepared to answer patient questions about medical cannabis (19.5% vs. 33.5%, respectively; χ2 = 9.74, p < 0.01). While the majority of respondents stated they have not received any formal education related to medical cannabis, they expressed endorsement for such training and education. CONCLUSIONS: In light of the expanding number of patients who use medical cannabis, this study highlights the importance of incorporating medical cannabis education for nurses in academic and clinical curricula.

Toward medical cannabis education in Israel.

OBJECTIVES: To assess knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding medical cannabis among Israeli medical, nursing, social work and other health related students as well as to outline the formation of an instrument for standardized data collection on these topics. METHODS: An invitation to participate with a link for the online survey was sent to all students pursuing a degree in medicine, nursing, social work, and other health disciplines in the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. The instrument included 32 items that measured knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding medical cannabis. In addition, demographic data were collected and participants were asked about the frequency of medical or recreational cannabis use. RESULTS: Among the 763 participants, 596 were females (78 %), and the mean age was 25.8 years. While the reported personal use of medical cannabis was minimal (1.9 %), cannabis use for recreational purposes was relatively common (54.0 %). The vast majority believed that medical cannabis holds significant health benefits but expressed concerns regarding potential risks of cannabis use. Additionally, the vast majority of students felt unprepared to answer patients' questions about medical cannabis and expressed a desire to receive more training. Several significant differences between the different academic disciplines were observed. CONCLUSIONS: In light of current regulatory and scientific developments, it is apparent that students of health professions will need a greater level of understanding of medical cannabis than previous generations of students. This study emphasizes the ample need for more knowledge and formal education to students of health and related professions.

Russian Federation medical student knowledge, attitudes and beliefs toward medical cannabis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess medical student knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about cannabis use for medical conditions in Russia where it is prohibited. METHODS: This study uses data collected from 463 Russian origin medical students. Pearson Chi-square test for categorical variables was used to determine whether student knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of medical cannabis (MC) are affected by gender and religiosity. RESULTS: Overall, Russian university medical students tend to reflect negative attitudes and beliefs toward MC. Female students were more inclined to recommend MC for patient treatment and its legalization; and, believe it is not addictive and does not pose physical or mental health risk. Students who support MC use believe it has treatment benefits, support additional research as well as policy change for its legalization. Secular, more than religious, students report more positive attitudes toward MC use. About 34% of the students indicate they have no knowledge about cannabis use for medical conditions; and, nearly half report feel they are able to answer patient questions about its use for medical condition if such a situation were to exist. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first in Russia to examine medical students' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs toward MC. Results evidence the majority of survey respondents do not support cannabis legalization for any purpose - medical or recreational. They report a dearth of knowledge about the substance and recommend additional evidence-based research and education to enhance their knowledge about its use. The present study has value in terms of providing usable information for possible curriculum development and education purposes as well as policy change about cannabis use for medical conditions in Russia.

Religion in Russia: Its impact on university student medical cannabis attitudes and beliefs.

Despite significant research, the benefits and risks of cannabis for medical purposes remain elusive. However, there is one factor about the substance that is clear - there is a dearth of knowledge about attitudes and beliefs toward its use in Russia where the substance in any form is strictly prohibited. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of affiliation with religion on university student attitudes and beliefs toward cannabis for medical conditions. Survey data were collected from 828 medical and allied health students at two Russian universities. Findings indicate that students with a religious affiliation were significantly more likely to express negative attitudes towards medical cannabis.