Preventing alcohol use among late adolescent urban youth: 6-year results from a computer-based intervention.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of a skills-based CD-ROM intervention, with and without a parent component, to reduce alcohol use among urban youth at 6-year follow-up. METHOD: At recruitment, 513 youths with a mean age of 10.8 years were randomly assigned to one of three study arms: youth CD-ROM intervention plus parent component, youth CD-ROM intervention only, or control. All youths completed pretest, posttest, and annual follow-up measures. Youths and parents in their respective arms received the initial intervention program between pretest and posttest measures and received booster interventions between each follow-up measure. RESULTS: With 80% sample retention at 6-year follow-up, youths in both intervention arms reported less past-month alcohol and cigarette use and fewer instances of heavy drinking and negative alcohol-related consequences. Despite having similar numbers of drinking peers as youths in the control arm, youths in both intervention arms reported greater alcohol-refusal skills. Only past-month cigarette use differed between the two intervention arms, with youths in the intervention-plus-parent-component arm smoking less than youths in the CD-ROM intervention-only arm. CONCLUSIONS: Six years after initial intervention, youths who received a culturally tailored, skills-based prevention program had reduced alcohol use and lower rates of related risky behaviors than youths in the control arm.

La publicación electrónica en ciencias de la salud / Electronic publishing in the health sciences

Durante la segunda mitad del siglo XX hemos presenciado un aumento espectacular de la información científica y avances notables en las formas de comunicar esa información. A lo largo de las Américas tanto los investigadores como los responsables de establecer políticas necesitan conocer las nuevas tecnologías hoy disponibles para que sus países puedan participar plenamente en esta revolución de la información y cosechar sus beneficios. Respondiendo a esta necesidad la Organización Panamericana de la Salud y su Centro Latinoamericano y del Caribe para Información en Ciencias de la Salud (BIREME) patrocinaron conjuntamente el Seminario Internacional sobre los Retos de la Era de la Información: Agentes y Usuarios, que se celebró en Sao Paulo del 18 al 20 de octubre de 1994. Una de las mesas redondas del seminario se dedicó al tema de la producción científica con atención a la calidad. El texto que sigue fue presentado por el doctor Edward Huth, quien formo parte del cuadro de expertos internacionales que participaron en la mesa redonda. El autor plantea diversos aspectos de la nueva tecnología de publicación electrónica y lo que significan para los productores y los usuarios de la información científica

Electronic publishing in the health sciences

The latter half of this century has witnessed a proliferation of scientific information as well as remarkable advances in ways of communicating that information. Both researchers and polymakers throughout the Americas need knowledge about the new technologies that are available in order for their countries to fully participate in this information revolution and reap its benefits. to address that need, the "International Seminar on the Challenges of the Information Era: Agents and Users" was held in Sao Paulo on 18-20 October 1994, under the sponsorship of the Pan America Health Organization and PAHO's Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information (BIREME). One of the round talbes at the seminar focused on scientific production and quality eecognition. This special report features the text of presentations given by two members of the international panel of experts who participed in the round table. The first, by Dr. Edward Huth, deals with the implications of new electronic publishing technologies for the producer and consumers of scientific information. The secong, by Dr. Eugene Garfield, explain how quantitative analysis of scientific publishing in different countries can elucidate national research policies and be useful in guiding them (AU)

Interactive multimedia dental education: the next five years and beyond.

This presentation is intended to provide "Ten Good Reasons" why interactive multimedia should play a major role in both undergraduate curriculum and graduate level continuing education in the next five years. Multimedia is currently best presented on CD-ROM disks, but virtual reality, interactive television, video-desktop conferencing, and Internet applications will become available before the end of the century. Many dental schools, associations and private companies have already entered the development and production of dental multimedia titles, and it is anticipated that schools and dentists will soon be constrained to purchase multimedia capable systems to take advantage of the "Ten Good Reasons." Guidelines are given to those who desire to publish material in interactive multimedia format. A vision of the future is presented.

[CD-ROM--a useful tool for physicians]. / CD-ROM--et nyttigt redskab for laeger.

The use of compact disc read-only-memory (CD-ROM) at a medical library is described. The introduction of CD-ROM as a reference tool has been a positive experience both for the library staff and the end users (doctors). Medical journals in fulltext, textbooks and special databases are already available on CD-Rom. Future perspectives concerning CD-technology for doctors are discussed.

[Literature searching on CD-ROM disks]. / Litteratursøking ved hjelp av CD-ROM-plater.

CD-ROM, Compact Disk Read Only Memory, is a powerful resource which combines the best features of both online and print access to the literature. In 1988 the Medical Library in Trondheim installed the Medline database from Dialog on CD-ROM for library users, and used the opportunity to launch a study to evaluate the new medium in the library (use, users, costs, etc.). The results are based on 651 questionnaires answered by 185 different users. Totally they searched for more than 1,200 different subjects during first six months that the library subscribed to the CD-ROM-disks. All users said that the system was easy to learn and to use (even the 50% who were not familiar with a PC). The study shows that retrieving information from CD-ROM databases is an easy and popular way to keep updated in a particular field.