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Biomedical subjects

S Casswell

Publications and source records attributed to S Casswell.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

The economic costs of alcohol-related absenteeism and reduced productivity among the working population of New Zealand.

Lost productivity accounts for a significant proportion of the total cost of alcohol. This study quantifies the costs associated with alcohol consumption using survey data collected from four alcohol surveys conducted in Auckland between November 1990 to May 1992. The total sample size was 4662, of which 2638 were drinkers in paid employment. A computer-assisted telephone interviewing system was used to interview a random sample that closely matched the Auckland population. Respondents gave information about their typical alcohol consumption and frequency of absences from paid employment which were a result of their drinking. They also gave a report of the number of times in the past 12 months when they felt their work had been impaired as a result of their drinking. The cost of absenteeism was recorded as the number of times a respondent reported time away from work multiplied by gross income. Estimates of reduced work efficiency were derived from US figures, which estimated a 25% reduction in work performance among heavy alcohol users; 3.7% of the sample reported alcohol-related absences and 12% reported reduced efficiency days. There was a significant difference in both the number and cost of absentee and reduced efficiency days reported between the top 10% and the bottom 10% drinkers. A conservative estimate of alcohol-related lost productivity among the working population of New Zealand (with a population of 3.4 million and a per capita absolute alcohol consumption of 9.7 litres) was found to be $57 million per year.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1995

Does alcohol advertising have an impact on the public health?

This presentation draws on recent New Zealand and international research to examine a number of questions about the possible public health impact of policy which allows alcohol to be advertised on the broadcast media. The relevant public health questions include: the contribution of alcohol advertising to aggregate levels of consumption and alcohol-related problems; the impact on the drinking and attitudes of the heaviest drinking sector, young males, who tend to be a primary target for the advertising; the impact on those already experiencing problems associated with their drinking and wanting to abstain or cut down; the impact on the young as they move towards becoming drinkers; the impact on the likely efficacy of educational campaigns about drinking; and the impact on the social climate surrounding alcohol and in turn on the support for effective public policies to reduce alcohol-related harm. Research in this area has increased in both conceptual and methodological sophistication in the past decade and studies using a number of complementary methods are available to assist our understanding of the likely impact of broadcast alcohol advertising. Evidence that advertising is likely to contribute to higher levels of drinking and related problems has strengthened over the past decade, suggesting that public health interests should be considered as one of the relevant voices in the ongoing policy debate around alcohol advertising.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1994

Comparison of six alcohol consumption measures from survey data.

Data were collected from a national sample of 1680 New Zealanders that allowed comparison of six different alcohol consumption measures. A measure based on reports of typical frequency and the amount typically consumed in 15 specified drinking locations produced the highest estimate of consumption. This measure and three others showed a particularly high degree of correlation, these being: a measure based on typical frequency and typical occasion amount; a variation of the Finnish period estimate; and a New Zealand variation of the period estimate that incorporated a typical frequency measure. The four measures just described, together with a last 7 days measure, showed generally consistent results when data were examined at the level of the total population and age, gender and socio-economic sub-groups. A measure based on the last two drinking occasions showed the least consistency with the other measures. The high degree of consistency found in the present study is similar to that found in a previous Finnish study and gives confidence that different ways of obtaining information about alcohol consumption, including relatively quick methods, can lead to similar conclusions about the comparative drinking of population sub-groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Alcohol in the mass media and drinking by adolescents: a longitudinal study.

Data from a longitudinal study carried out in Dunedin, New Zealand, were used to investigate associations between alcohol consumption at age 18 years and alcohol-related mass media communications recalled at ages 13 and 15 years. The respondents' recall of alcohol-related mass media material were categorized as: commercial alcohol advertising, alcohol moderation messages or the portrayal of alcohol in entertainment. An additional media variable was the number of hours spent watching television. Non-media variables, such as peer approval of drinking, living situation and occupation (all at age 18 years) were also included in the analyses. The period between the interviews at ages 13 and 15 years saw an increase in the broadcast of commercial alcohol advertisements on television in New Zealand and this was reflected in an increase in the proportion of the mass media material recalled which was categorized as commercial advertising. At age 15 years television advertising, mostly for beer companies, was the predominant material recalled. No relationships were found between the commercial advertising and wine and spirits consumption, among either men or women, but young women who had watched more hours of television drank more wine/spirits. Among women there were two unexpected negative relationships between recall of alcohol in the media at age 13 years and beer consumption. However, among men there was a consistent positive relationship such that those who had recalled more alcohol advertisements at age 15 years drank larger quantities of beer at age 18 years.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

The effect of prices on alcohol consumption in New Zealand 1983-1991.

The strength of the effect of prices on alcohol consumption is of relevance in determining the potential impact that alcohol taxes have on consumption and, thereby, alcohol-related problems. This price-consumption relationship was investigated for New Zealand. Multiple regression analysis was employed using quarterly aggregate consumption and price data for 1983-1991. Price elasticities of alcohol consumption were estimated to be -1.1, -1.1, 0, -2.0 for beer, wine and spirits beverage, and absolute (total) alcohol consumption, respectively. These elasticity estimates and the degree to which prices explained consumption trends in the regression equations, suggest that price had a strong effect on alcohol consumption in New Zealand during the period investigated. Thus, the current taxing policy, in which excise tax is indexed to inflation, is deemed a useful tool for preventing an increase in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

Recreational drug use in New Zealand.

A general population sample of 5126 New Zealanders aged 15-45 was surveyed in late 1990 to determine their use of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and other illicit drugs. The results show that alcohol and tobacco are the most commonly used drugs. Cannabis had been tried by 43% of the sample, and this level of use appears similar to that in Australia and the United States. Hallucinogens were the next most common illicit drug and had been tried by 8% of the sample. Again the New Zealand rates appear similar to those for the United States or Australia. Much lower levels of use were reported for stimulants, opiates, tranquillizers and solvents than for other illicit drugs. The New Zealand prevalence rates for these substances are lower than those in the United States. The rates for these other classes of drugs are more similar to Australia, but may be slightly lower for stimulants, tranquillizers and solvents.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

The effect of parents' alcohol problems on children's behaviour as reported by parents and by teachers.

Associations between parents' alcohol problems when children were aged 9 and children's behaviour at ages 9 and 13 as reported by parents and teachers were investigated. The sample consisted of participants in a multidisciplinary longitudinal study, data were collected by face-to-face interview. When compared to children with no or mild parental alcohol problems, children classified as having severe parental alcohol problems were more likely to display high levels of problem behaviour at age 9 as reported by teachers and at age 13 as reported by parents. Poorer family relationships, lower verbal and reading proficiency and being male were also associated with high levels of behaviour problems.

Achievement↗
PubMed1993

Public discourse on the benefits of moderation: implications for alcohol policy development.

There is increasingly widespread acceptance of a protective effect of alcohol against coronary heart disease and a consequent delay of mortality among the elderly. This information has been widely disseminated in the popular media and by industry related sectors. The policy arguments based on the epidemiological data are that moderate alcohol use is beneficial, therefore policy should not impact on moderate drinkers, only on heavy drinkers. This fits well with the arguments of those opposed to population public health measures such as taxation, controls on availability, and enforcement of drink-driving laws like random breath testing. However, there is a growing consensus among public health researchers that population measures are most effective at reducing alcohol-related harm. Concern has been expressed that the current public discourse on benefits of moderation will influence individuals to drink more. Of equal, or even greater, concern is the likelihood that this public discourse will decrease the chances that effective population focused policies will be implemented.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

The negotiation of New Zealand alcohol policy in a decade of stabilized consumption and political change: the role of research.

Significant changes in the key alcohol policy areas of availability, advertising and taxation have taken place in New Zealand from 1985 to 1991. These changes are described in the context of the social climate which was one of extreme fiscal crisis and an unprecedented swing to the right. The very limited role played by public health research in the process of policy development is viewed in part as a consequence of this social climate. The political changes affected the strength and extent of the public health voices in the debate and the reception they received. In each of the policy areas in which change occurred, the policy-keeper was other than a public health agency and the utilization of research by public health advocates was, therefore, in response to already articulated positions. The dissemination of research relied too heavily on lengthy written submissions, and too little on media advocacy and interpersonal contact. There was also a lack of directly relevant local research to inform the policy debate. The case study illustrates the constraints on researchers' in the policy development process, but suggests that such involvement is important for the public's health.

Advertising↗
PubMed1993

The importance of amount and location of drinking for the experience of alcohol-related problems.

People's self report of a variety of alcohol-related problems was collected as part of a national survey carried out in New Zealand in 1988. These problems included self perception of adverse effects of drinking on a number of life areas such as health, friendships and financial position; items covering tangible consequences of alcohol use and items suggestive of alcohol dependence. The experience of these problems was predicted from a number of socio-demographic variables and respondent's reports of their typical drinking behaviour. Of the socio-demographic variables only age was found to relate strongly to experience of problems. The overall frequency of drinking relatively large amounts and the typical quantity drunk in certain licensed premises (hotels, taverns and clubs) and the typical quantity drunk in others' homes predicted the experience of problems. These findings are similar to research from other countries using different methodologies and support the likely effectiveness of prevention strategies which reduce the access of young people to alcohol and which aim to influence the amounts consumed in drinking sessions on licensed premises.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

User reports of problems associated with alcohol and marijuana.

A general population sample of 5126 New Zealanders aged 15-45 in two regions was surveyed to determine their use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other illicit drugs. Self-reported problems were recorded on identical scales for alcohol and marijuana in order to make a direct comparison between alcohol and marijuana-related problems. The results suggest that alcohol-related problems were more common than marijuana-related ones in the general population, reflecting the fact that alcohol use was more widespread. Within the 17% of the sample who had used both alcohol and marijuana in the last 12 months more problems were reported from alcohol, once again reflecting differences in amounts consumed. Among heavier users of marijuana both alcohol and marijuana-related problems were more commonly reported than in the general sample. Problems were reported at similar levels for both drugs and the pattern of problems is somewhat similar.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Drinking context and other influences on the drinking of 15-year-old New Zealanders.

This study investigated the influence of the situational characteristics of the drinking setting and a number of parental, personal and demographic variables on adolescents' alcohol use. The sample were 15-year-old participants in a multidisciplinary longitudinal study carried out in New Zealand. Measures of alcohol consumption were self reported amount of alcohol consumed on the most recent drinking occasion and amount usually consumed. All of the situational variables investigated had an effect on the amount of alcohol consumed on the most recent occasion. Greater amounts of alcohol were consumed if the alcohol was obtained from peers or by the 15-year-olds themselves, if the drink was consumed away from their own home, in the presence of peers only, and during the evening. More money to spend each week and lower SES were also associated with reports of greater alcohol consumption on the most recent drinking occasion. Adolescents with female friends who approved of drinking reported greater amounts of alcohol, the effect of female friends was most marked in the lower amounts reported by males who had female friends that disapproved of drinking. For amount of alcohol usually consumed, reports of larger amounts of alcohol were associated with more money available to spend each week and with lower SES. Furthermore, both males and females reported greater usual amounts if their male friends approved of drinking; female friends' approval was associated with greater amounts of alcohol usually being consumed, this effect was strongest for males. Sixty-eight per cent of the 15-year-olds indicated that they thought they definitely or probably would get drunk in the future.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

A longitudinal study of New Zealand children's experience with alcohol.

A longitudinal study assessed the use of alcohol and related measures among New Zealand children aged 9, 11, 13 and 15 years. The proportion of children who were abstainers was at a similar level to the adult population by age 15 years. Those remaining abstainers were more likely to have infrequently drinking parents and to have been warned of the bad effects of alcohol by their parents. In terms of amount consumed and frequency of drinking, there was an increase with age and a marked increase between the ages of 13 and 15 years. Frequency of drinking was positively associated with the frequency of drinking by the mother and father. Girls drank less than boys until the age of 15 years, when they drank slightly more and a difference in terms of socio-economic status (SES) emerged at age 15 years with lower SES groups drinking more.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1989

Changes in public support for alcohol policies following a community-based campaign.

An evaluated community action project carried out in New Zealand provincial cities used a quasi-experimental design which compared cities exposed to a mass media campaign, with and without community development, against reference cities. A major focus of the project was on alcohol policies, particularly alcohol advertising and availability. This emphasis is in keeping with an increased recognition that the appropriate role of alcohol education is to create a climate in which policies likely to shape appropriate drinking behaviours are accepted by the community. A range of complementary quantitative and qualitative evaluation techniques documented the community programme and indicated success in influencing the attitudes of the population.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1989

Alcohol taxes: do the poor pay more than the rich?

Concern has often been expressed that alcohol taxes bear more heavily on the poor than on the rich, especially if these taxes are based on quantity rather than price. However, surprisingly little is known about how the tax burden is distributed across different income groups. Utilizing survey data from 3010 respondents in New Zealand, this study calculates exactly how much alcohol tax was paid by respondents in different income groups and in different types of households. These results were applied to household expenditure survey data to estimate the incidence of alcohol taxes across different households. The results suggest that, although in dollar terms the wealthiest households paid about four times as much alcohol tax as the poorest households, when expressed as a percentage of income, alcohol taxes are distributed proportionally across the lower income brackets but decline towards the upper end of the income scale. These taxes accounted for less than 1% of household income for all income groups. Households with children generally paid less alcohol tax than households without children. It is concluded that alcohol taxes in New Zealand do not seriously conflict with the broader equity objectives of government policy.

Alcoholic Beverages↗
PubMed1989

The response of New Zealand boys to corporate and sponsorship alcohol advertising on television.

A survey of a random sample of 302 New Zealand boys aged 9-14 years investigated responses to two recent television advertisements featuring alcohol companies. Alcohol product advertising is not allowed on New Zealand television but a corporate advertisement which was allowed was perceived by most of the children to be advertising beer and to be encouraging drinking. A corporate sports sponsorship advertisement had lower association with alcohol, which may have been because of children's limited understanding of the concept of sponsorship. Most of the children remembered both advertisements and many expected their peers to take notice of them. There was strong support for both advertisements being broadcast on television. Overall, the survey suggested that this television advertising was creating strong positive associations between the companies' products and significant cultural and emotional elements, thus contributing to a climate that was not supportive of alcohol education.

Adolescent↗