Addressing harmful alcohol use in primary care in Colombia: Understanding the sociocultural context.

Harmful alcohol use is a public health problem worldwide, contributing to an estimated 5.1% of the global burden of illness. Screening and addressing at-risk drinking in primary care settings is an empirically supported health care intervention strategy to help reduce the burden of alcohol-use problems. In preparation for introducing screening and treatment for at-risk drinking in primary care clinics in Colombia, we conducted interviews with clinicians, clinic administrators, patients, and participants in Alcoholics Anonymous. Interviews were conducted within the framework of the Detección y Atención Integral de Depresión y Abuso de Alcohol en Atención Primaria (DIADA, [Detection and Integrated Care for Depression and Alcohol Use in Primary Care] www.project-diada.org) research project, and its qualitative phase that consisted of the collection of data from 15 focus groups, 6 interviews and field observations in 5 regional settings. All participants provided informed consent to participate in this research. Findings revealed the association of harmful alcohol use with a culture of consumption, within which it is learned and socially accepted practice. Recognition of harmful alcohol consumption includes a social context that influences its screening, diagnosis and prevention. The discussion highlights how, despite the existence of institutional strategies in healthcare settings and the awareness of the importance of at-risk drinking among health personnel, the recognition of the harmful use of alcohol as a pathology should be embedded in an understanding of historical, social and cultural dimensions that may affect different identification and care scenarios.

Contexto social del debate sobre el control natal en Colombia en las décadas de 1960 y 1970: política, medicina y sociedad / The social context of the birth control debate in Colombia in the 1960s and 1970s: politics, medicine and society

El artículo busca presentar el contexto y aproximación preliminares necesarios para comprender y abordar el debate sobre el control natal en Colombia en las décadas de 1960 y 1970. Recoge las principales posturas en conflicto en dicho período, y los discursos y lógicas que permearon la llegada de los programas de planificación norteamericanos a América Latina como forma de control político de los movimientos revolucionarios (AU)