Jim McCambridge

Το 2006, το πρόγραμμα Drinkaware ξεκίνησε ως φιλανθρωπική δράση στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, μετά από συμφωνία μεταξύ του Ομίλου Portman και διαφόρων κυβερνητικών οργανισμών. Το παρόν δημοσίευμα εξετάζει συνοπτικά τη διεθνή βιβλιογραφία σχετικά με τους οργανισμούς εταιρικής κοινωνικής ευθύνης, καθώς και τη φύση των δραστηριοτήτων που πραγματοποιούνται στο πλαίσιο του Drinkaware. Παράλληλα, πραγματεύεται τρόπους με τους οποίους θα μπορούσε να ανταποκριθεί ο τομέας της δημόσιας υγείας. Αν και οι φορείς που ανήκουν στο χώρο της καταπολέμησης των εξαρτήσεων στη Βρετανία και ο ευρύτερος τομέας της δημόσιας υγείας έχουν απομακρυνθεί από τον Όμιλο Portman, δεν έχουν κάνει το ίδιο στην περίπτωση του Drinkaware, παρά το γεγονός ότι το Drinkaware σχεδιάστηκε από τον Όμιλο Portman για να εξυπηρετήσει τα συμφέροντα της βιομηχανίας οινοπνεύματος. Οι εξελίξεις στο παρελθόν αλλά και σήμερα, καταδεικνύουν ένα πολύ υψηλό επίπεδο επιρροής της βιομηχανίας στις βρετανικές πολιτικές για το αλκοόλ. Το Drinkaware αποτελεί μηχανισμό της επιρροής αυτής. Θεωρούμε ότι η συνεργασία με φορείς της βιομηχανίας όπως το Drinkaware, εξυπηρετεί τη συγκάλυψη θεμελιωδών...

The ‘question-behaviour effect’ (QBE) has attracted much recent attention within health psychology, where it has also been referred to as the ‘mere measurement’ effect. There are other conceptualisations of similar phenomena in related disciplines. This paper explores the implications of the QBE for the safety of inferences about intervention effectiveness within the context of randomised controlled trials evaluating health behaviour change interventions. It draws attention to poorly understood mechanisms by which bias is introduced with conventional thinking about trial design and analysis. The threat to valid inference on intervention effectiveness posed by the QBE applies even when its effects are small and regardless of the specific content of the QBE. The nature of the resulting bias does not fit well within existing bias classification schemes, such as that proposed by the Cochrane Collaboration. The QBE is one possible consequence of research participation and it is suggested that the social psychology of research participation is very much underdeveloped. Possible future directions for health psychology research in this area are considered.

Background: Charities exist to pursue a public benefit, whereas corporations serve the interests of their shareholders. The alcohol industry uses corporate social responsibility activities to further its interests in influencing alcohol policy. Many charities also seek to influence alcohol and other policy. The aim of this study was to explore relationships between the alcohol industry and charities in the UK and whether these relationships may be used as a method of influencing alcohol policy. Methods: The charity regulator websites for England and Wales and for Scotland were the main data sources used to identify charities involved in UK alcohol policy making processes and/or funded by the alcohol industry. Results: Five charities were identified that both receive alcohol industry funding and are active in UK alcohol policy processes: Drinkaware; the Robertson Trust; British Institute of Innkeeping; Mentor UK and Addaction. The latter two are the sole remaining non-industry non-governmental members of the controversial responsibility deal alcohol network, from which all other public health interests have resigned. Conclusion: This study raises questions about the extent to which the alcohol industry is using UK charities as vehicles to further their own interests in UK alcohol policy. Mechanisms of industry influence in alcohol policy making globally is an important target for further investigations designed to assist the implementation of evidenced-based policies.

Glaucoma is a chronic eye disease associated with irreversible visual loss. In Africa, glaucoma patients often present late, with very advanced disease. One-off procedures, such as laser or surgery, are recommended in Africa because of lack of or poor adherence to medical treatment. However, acceptance of surgery is usually extremely low. To prevent blindness, adherence to treatment needs to improve, using acceptable, replicable and cost-effective interventions. After reviewing the literature and interviewing patients in Bauchi (Nigeria) motivational interviewing (MI) was selected as the intervention for this trial, with adaptation for glaucoma (MIG). MI is designed to strengthen personal motivation for, and commitment to a specific goal by eliciting and exploring a person’s reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion. The aim of this study is to assess whether MIG increases the uptake of laser or surgery amongst glaucoma patients where this is the recommended treatment. The hypothesis is that MIG increases the uptake of treatment. This will be the first trial of MI in Africa.

The leading mental health causes of the global burden of disease are depression in women and alcohol use disorders in men. A major hurdle to the implementation of evidence-based psychological treatments in primary care in developing countries is the non-availability of skilled human resources. The aim of these trials is to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of two psychological treatments developed for the treatment of depression and alcohol use disorders in primary care in India.