Pubdate: Wed, 11 May 2005
Source: Johnson City Press (TN)
Copyright: 2005 Johnson City Press
Contact:  http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1983
Author: Teresa Hicks, JCP Medical & Health Writer

GRANT ALLOWS RESEARCH INTO DRUG ABUSE IN RURAL AREAS

With the help of a grant from the National Institutes of Health,
researchers at East Tennessee State University are working to develop
tools that could be used to address the problem of substance abuse
among youth in rural communities.

"Tobacco, alcohol and other drug use by adolescents in the United
States is a significant problem, and there are important differences
in rates and contributing factors between rural and non-rural areas
that deserve further study," said Dr. Karen Schetzina, an assistant
professor of pediatrics at the James H. Quillen College of Medicine.

Schetzina and a team of researchers are currently developing a survey
that could be used to gather useful information about rates of
substance abuse in rural communities across the country. They started
this month by interviewing teachers, parents, administrators and
students in Northeast Tennessee middle schools, beginning with Unicoi
County schools.

"We will survey middle school students from rural East Tennessee to
help to understand how the risk may be different from that in large
cities," Schetzina said. "This is important information for the
National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse so the organization
can better learn how to design programs and address rural issues by
not necessarily using big city solutions.

"I think a key feature of this study is that we are working with
communities to identify what are the substance abuse issues that are
of most concern, and identify the right questions to ask on this survey."

Schetzina said the study is targeting middle school students, because
researchers feel that population has the most potential for
interventions to stop problems before they start.

"Substance abuse among youth increases with increasing age," she
explained. "It is more common at the high school level than at the
middle school level, but we know that substance use and abuse are
present in our middle schools, and part of our approach is preventive
in nature."

Other ETSU investigators in this project are Bruce Behringer,
assistant vice president for rural and community health and community
partnerships; Dr. David Chastain, associate professor of pediatrics;
Dr. Andrea Clements, professor of human development and learning; Dr.
Michael Dunn, assistant professor of public health; and Chris Ayers,
interim chair of physical education, exercise and sport sciences.

The study is being done in collaboration with Wake Forest University
under the leadership of Dr. Robert DuRant. For more information, call
439-6222. 
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