Section 1: Library Search Description
Article 1
Finding the right journals for research may be a challenging endeavor especially when the topic is wide. However, it is crucial to narrow down the search for specific words that will yield credible sources. In finding the first article for analysis, I searched in the ProQuest that is connected to HCT online library. ProQuest helps students and scholars alike to access a range of research articles from various disciplines across the world. As for the search for the first article, I typed the phrases “drug use”. The results were numerous, but I selected the article that was most relevant to my research topic.
Article 2
As for the second article, I also used the same search application as the first one ProQuest. As stated earlier, ProQuest is a database that contains numerous scholarly journals relevant to different disciplines across the globe. For this reason, the application was also useful in finding the second article. Besides, I decided to use unique search phrases to get the second article. In this respect, I used the phrases “persistence of drug use in Denmark” and “How persistent is drug use?” as well as “prevalence of drug use.” Again, this search provided a variety of articles and journals to select from starting with the most recent and relevant.
Article 3
As for the third article, I used a different application to search. In this case, I used Google Books to find the most relevant articles for my research. Google books also provide access to numerous journals relevant to the research topic. I used the phrases “How to explore drug Issues?” “Drug uses among the youth” and “A booklet on drug use.”
Section 2: Article Abstracts and References
Article 1
Title: Drug Use: Gender Issues
The Abstract: In “Drug Use,” Reuter investigates the correlation between substance abuse and addiction among women low-income mothers dependent on welfare support. Besides, Reuters examines the trend of drug abuse since the 1970’s to the 1990’s. The author contends that the primary factor causing the changes is the use of marijuana. However, the trend for cocaine addiction has been different because it peaked in the 1980’s and declined in the 1990’s.
The APA Reference: Reuter, P. (2006). Drug Use: Gender Issues.
The Article Word Count: The article has approximately 5500 words in content.
Article 2
Title: Persistence of Antimuscarinic Drug Use
The Abstract: The study aimed at examining the persistence of therapy, instead of using Antimuscarinic drugs in the treating of Overactive-bladder Syndrome. The authors contend that one in every six individuals has found themselves with Overactive-bladder Syndrome, which causes people to have a compelling urge to urinate and cannot defer the feeling. The susceptibility to this syndrome increases with age. Data for this research was mainly captured from a regional database for analysis in the ATC category from G04BD from 1999-2006. The database also captured all the reimbursements for prescriptions. The authors found that different types of Antimuscarinic drugs were dispensed to treat OAB syndrome. Besides, the use of these drugs has different persistent rates.
The APA Reference: Brostrøm, S., & Hallas, J. (2009). Persistence of Antimuscarinic Drug Use. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 65(3), 309-314.
The article word count: The article has approximately 3500 words in content.
Article 3
Title: A Little Book of Drugs: Activities to Explore Drug Issues with Young People
The Abstract: The book provides essential information that will help guide and create awareness about drug use. Besides, the book is handy in helping youth identify ways of dealing with peer pressure to take drugs and their consequences in their lives. In particular, the awareness creation is combined with various activities that aid youths rethink their values and attitudes regarding drugs and make the right choices. For instance, the book discusses various issues such as peer pressure, risks and consequences, drugs and the media, and drug use.
APA Reference: Rogers, V. (2012). A Little Book of Drugs: Activities to Explore Drug Issues with Young People. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
The article word count: Approximately 40000 words.
Section 3: Article Research Description
As for the first article, the title “Drug Use: Gender Issues” is quite explicit and direct. The target population for this research was the welfare and low-income mothers who are susceptible to substance abuse and addiction. The study took place in the United States in 2006, and reviewed drug use trends from the 1970’s to the 1990’s. In particular, the author focused on marijuana and cocaine abuse trends in America. The research approach that the researcher used in this study was a quantitative survey method. The researcher drew his data sets from the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research website, which can be accessed through an Internet search. Moreover, the author selected a sample size of four data sets, which include Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program, the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), Monitoring the Future (MTF), and the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). The main results of this research were that 27% of mothers receiving AFDC are three times more likely to abuse drugs compared to 9% who do not receive AFDC. According to Reuter, more than 1.3 million adults in America are estimated to engage in substance abuse or are addicted to different drugs and alcohol. Besides, 2-10% of women in various States in America were found to have abused drugs at one point in their lives. Although the author analyzes the four data sets comprehensively, he does not explain the methodology used to interpret the data.
In the second article, “Persistence of Antimuscarinic Drug Use,” the authors seek to understand the prevalence of Antimouscarinic drugs to treat the Overactive-bladder syndrome. The target population for the study was all people suffering from the Overactive bladder syndrome, both young and old. The study was also conducted in the Denmark in 2009. The researchers used a quantitative survey research method. This method allows the researcher to investigate the problem under study accurately with fewer errors. The data for the paper was collected from the Odense University Pharmacoepidemiological Database (OPED), which covers the reimbursed prescriptions of citizens in the country. The data collected from the OPED search was analyzed by generating Kaplan-Meyer curves for all the substances under investigation. This helped the researchers to understand the trend in drug continuation or termination among users. The authors found that the most common Antimuscarinic drugs in use were trospium, solifenacin, and tolterodine among others. Besides, most of the drugs had declining continuation rates except trospium chloride. However, the researchers did not explain explicitly the method they used to collect and analyze data. They only gave a cursory explanation that may leave the reader confused how the research was carried out.
In “Little Book of Drugs: Activities to Explore Drug Issues with Young People,” Rogers investigates the problem of drug use from another dimension of youths. Her primary target audiences for this book are undergraduate students, professional and scholarly individuals. In particular, the book targets high school and college students who comprise the bulk of youths. Similarly, it also targets professionals and scholars who are directly involved in youth matters especially drug use. The book uses a qualitative approach to study that integrates group activity, experiences, and awareness creation. The author primarily uses group discussions, warm-ups, and different activities to help youths learn about legal and illegal drugs, peer-pressure, and other issues related to drug use. The division of activities in the learning process makes it easy for the youths to relate with the information provided and improve their selection of choices. The primary finding in Rogers’ approach is that individuals will be able to make informed choices about drug use in the learning process involves active participation using warm-ups, exercises, and reviews.
Section 4: Article Evaluation
In order of significance, “Little Book of Drugs: Activities to Explore Drug Issues with Young People” comes first, followed by “Drug Use” and lastly “Persistence of Antimuscarinic Drug Use.” The third article by Rogers provides crucial information that can help youths change their attitudes and perceptions about drugs. As stated earlier, the use of warm-ups, different activities, and reviews tips are essential in making learning more interactive and experiential among the youth. The activities are imaginative and audience-oriented, making it easy for one to pick activities appropriate to a particular age of youths. The findings of this research are particularly crucial to my area of the topic because of its broad-based and interactive approach to handling drug use issues. The book will aid in elaborating between legal and illegal drugs as well as the consequences of using particular types of drugs. It will also help in investigating the prevalence of substance abuse among the youths, and how the unique exercises provided can be utilized. In professional practice and public policy, the content of this book would encourage professionals and policymakers to gear their efforts towards creating interactive drug use awareness programs for the youth. Based on the findings of the article, I would like to understand whether the same range of exercises could be reformulated to suit other age groups.
References:
Brostrøm, S., & Hallas, J. (2009). Persistence of Antimuscarinic Drug Use. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 65(3), 309-314.
Reuter, P. (2006). Drug Use: Gender Issues.
Rogers, V. (2012). A Little Book of Drugs: Activities to Explore Drug Issues with Young People. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
