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Navigating Data Trends in a Changing Environment
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In this Issue:
- Tele-prevention: How Do We Evaluate Prevention Services Provided Through Electronic Technology?
- Additional Resources
- Virtual Bytes: Implementing Prevention Services in a Virtual Setting
- What's Happening Around the Region?
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Epi Corner: A Look at What’s Trending: The 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
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Tele-prevention: How Do We Evaluate Prevention Services Provided Through Electronic Technology?
I cannot speak for others, but I am beginning to suffer from “Zoom fatigue.” Since March of this year, most of my interactions with others have been through electronic meetings and social media. This adjustment has been common for many as we deal with a global pandemic. Some of the adjustments and adaptations that have been made in the healthcare and prevention fields are likely to become permanent. For example, telehealth is now being used by numerous healthcare providers and there are some definite advantages. Providing healthcare in rural areas has always been a challenge and technology can provide improved access. There are also some challenges. It is important to make sure that patients have access to electronic devices for example. There are also challenges with the quality of the connection services as some areas do not have access to reliable internet. Ethical challenges include confidentiality and how data is stored and who has access. That said, telehealth and tele mental health will continue beyond the pandemic due to reductions in cost and an increase in access to services.
Prevention providers are adjusting the way they provide services during these challenging times. Delivering services using electronic technology may have some advantages. In a world where technology and social media impact the opinions and behaviors of many people, especially our youth and young adults, adapting and expanding prevention efforts to be provided through electronic technology are important. Many of our youth have grown up with computers, electronic tablets, and smart phones. This will provide both implementation and evaluation challenges. For example, most of the evidence-based prevention programs are delivered in a face-to-face format. Even those that provide instruction through videos or other forms of electronic technology have the challenge of providing the services in a format that engages the participant. Also, technology can be used in shaping norms that influence behaviors, including substance use and other problem behaviors.
The Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) has been the guiding framework for prevention programs for almost twenty years. As prevention continues to use electronic technology to provide services, there are some issues that need to be considered at each stage of the model. I am going to suggest some of these challenges at each stage that need consideration. This list will in no way be exhaustive but will hopefully be a starting point for those that are considering expanding their use of technology in prevention efforts.
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Hayden D. Center, Jr., PhD
Dr. Hayden D. Center, Jr. was most recently on faculty at Auburn University at Montgomery in the Department of Psychology, where he taught for ten years. He is also a licensed professional counselor specializing in addiction issues and has worked as a consultant in alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse prevention for over 30 years.
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Prevention Technology Transfer Center, Data-Informed Decisions Workgroup
This site provides network related products for data decision making developed by the PTTC Data-Informed Decisions Workgroup. Recorded training, companion manuals and other resources are included.
National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families
Data visualization experts from NORC at the University of Chicago share some best practices for creating graphics from survey and administrative data.
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Tools for Telling a Statistical Story
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Using a story to communicate data in your community can be an effective tool. There are two parts to telling an effective story, the first part is the speaker describing the tale out loud to an audience, and the second part is the visuals or words that help enhance the story. Below are some tools you can use to create visuals that will help you tell a more effective, memorable data story.
These ideas can be used in PowerPoint presentations, policy developing information sheets, infographics, social media, or whatever may meet your needs. How can you use one of these tools to communicate your prevention story in the near future?
Excel
Excel 2019 enables you to easily add basic infographics to your worksheets from the Insert tab of the ribbon with the addition of Bing Maps and People Graph to the drop-down menu on its Add-Ins button, and the Filled Map option in its Maps button. These infographic enhancements enable you to create visual representations of regionally related worksheet data that can point out trends and quickly convey their most pertinent information.
Tableau Public
Tableau Public is a dynamic free software that allows anyone to connect to a spreadsheet or file and create interactive data visualizations for the web. It includes GIS Mapping and many other features.
Timeline
Timeline is a fantastic widget which renders a beautiful interactive timeline that responds to the user's mouse, making it easy to create advanced timelines that convey a lot of information in a compressed space. Each element can be clicked to reveal more in-depth information, making this a great way to give a big-picture view while still providing full detail.
Compiled by Beverly Triana-Tremain Ph.D., CLSSGB, South Southwest Prevention Technology Center Epidemiologist
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What's Happening Around the Region? |
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People of Color Learning Community Webinar Series
The South-Southwest Prevention Technology Transfer Center will host five virtual learning community sessions for prevention professionals in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas working in communities of color. The purpose of the learning community is to discuss strategies for creating change that lead to positive outcomes in communities of color.
Session 4
Cultural Competence - What Does That Mean?
November 4, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. CT / 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. MT
The South-Southwest Prevention Technology Transfer Center will host session four of its virtual five-part learning community series for prevention professionals working in communities of color. This webinar will focus on using the cultural competence continuum to help gauge an organization's capacity to provide culturally inclusive services and to create open dialogue with communities of color. The model describes cultural competency as movement along a continuum that is based on the premise of respect and appreciation of individuals and cultural differences.
Please save the date for the final session:
- Dec 1, 2:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. MT
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Data Collection During the Pandemic
This webinar mini-series will discuss how to creatively adapt quantitative and qualitative data collection methods during the COVID-19 pandemic with real life examples. During the webinar series, participants will have the opportunity to discuss barriers, solutions, and lessons learned in their prevention work related to data collection during this critical time.
Save the Dates:
QUANTITATIVE Data Collection During the Pandemic
December 8, 1:30-3:00 p.m. CT / 12:30-2:00 p.m. MT
QUALITATIVE Data Collection During a Pandemic
January 26, 1:30-3:00 p.m. CT / 12:30-2:00 p.m. MT
Sign up on our mailing list and you will receive registration information for this training and many other great resources!
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The South Southwest PTTC is currently suspending in-person training and meetings until further notice. Take advantage of our many virtual products and services available for free from our website.
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Virtual Bytes:
Implementing Prevention Services in a Virtual Setting
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For the next few months we will share training, information and resources related to to this topic. This month we're featuring the two part webinar series recording Supporting Prevention Efforts Through Virtual Settings developed by the Mountain Plains Prevention Technology Transfer Center.
(Click on the webinar below to watch the recorded training)
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Epi Corner
Iris Smith, Ph.D., M.P.H.
South Southwest Prevention Technology Transfer Center
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As many of you are aware, the findings from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) are now available (SAMHSA, 2020)1. The data reported show both encouraging trends and emergent issues of concern.
Alcohol Use
- 139.7 Million individuals 12 and older reported current use of alcohol.
- 47.1% reported binge drinking in the past month of these, 24.4% were drank heavily
- Among adolescents, 12-17 years old, the percent of those drinking heavily in the past month declined from 17.6% in 2002 to 9.4% in 2019 and those drinking heavily in the past month declined from 5.8% to 4.9%.
- The percent of those drinking in the past month between the ages of 18-25 also declined from 61.4% to 54.3% during this period. Binge drinking also declined from 39% in 2015 to 34.3% in 2019.
Illicit Drug Use
- While there were statistically significant declines in misuse of prescription pain relievers, benzodiazepines and cocaine across all age groups from 2002 to 2019, marijuana use increased from 11% to 17.5 %.
- The misuse of stimulant drugs, including methamphetamine remained relatively stable between 2015 and 2019 across all population groups, with a slight decline among individuals 18-25.
- Perceptions of “great risk” from weekly smoking of marijuana decreased across all age groups between 2015 and 2019.
Mental Health
- Among adolescents 12 to 17, the percent who experienced a major depressive episode (MDE) increased from 9% in 2004 to 15.7% in 2019.
- The percent of those with severe impairment resulting from an MDE increased from 5.5% in 2006 to 11.1% in 2019.
- Adolescents with a past year MDE who reported receiving treatment for depression increased from 37.8% in in 2005 to 43.3% in 2019.
- Adolescents with a past year MDE were more likely to be use illicit drugs compared to adolescents who had not experienced an MDE.
- The prevalence of severe impairment resulting from an MDE also increased among young adults (18-25) from 4.8% to 6.1%.
- The percent of adults 18 and older who had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year increased from 3.7% in 2008 to 4.8% in 2019.
- Among young adults 18-25, those who made a suicide plan in the past year increased from 2% to 3.9%.
These findings suggest that national attention to substance misuse prevention and behavioral health has had a meaningful impact. However, there are still challenges before us. The full impact of Covid-19 on substance misuse and other behavioral health issues has yet to be realized. The information on national trends is informative. Ongoing monitoring of local indicators will be extremely important going forward.
References
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2020). Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States: Results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. This publication may be downloaded or ordered at https://store.samhsa.gov/. Or call SAMHSA at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727) (English and Español).
1Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2020). Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States: Results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
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