Paper 1

Hypothesis

Null hypothesis HO; ‘‘Usage of alcohol and other drugs during school-based end year periods leads to harmful risky behavior among school leavers.”

Based on this null hypothesis, the school completion is the independent variable with its inherent actions of engaging in drug-related intakes and celebrations that follows. This leads to engagement in harmful behavior which increases risks of harm. Ingestion and intake of alcohol and other related drugs among the school leavers’ learners is the dependent variable during celebratory events. Drug and alcohol-related celebrations are the prevalent forms of end of school after party engagements among school leavers upon completion of their studies.

Alternative hypothesis; Use of alcohol and other drugs activity is undertaken by school leavers among other activities as a form of entertainment engagements. 

Engagement of other activities aimed at entertainment activities among the school leavers is an independent variable in this alternate hypothesis. The dependent variable, in this case, entails the intake and consumption of alcohol and drug-related substances.  Among the school levers who have completed their studies in the western world, engaging in these activities is a form of entertainment and celebration.

Sampling method

The sampling method employed in the study utilized a two-prong approach. The first approach involved respondents aged between 17-18 years who had completed school and intending to attend end school celebrations. The first part of the survey entails a sample of young people totaling 541. Among this group, 56% comprised of female gender and a high proportion of the general participants comprised 17 years of age, while the rests 9% were 18 years. The survey was conducted in two ways; the first was done online with 52% representation conducted while the rest of 48% were submitted during the first day of celebration.

The second method of participants was undertaken after the occurrence of the celebration. It was completed by 405 participants, of which 50% were males while 94% were aged 17 years while the rest 18 years. Two approaches were utilized in surveying the participants; online and face to face. Face to face survey method was largely utilized to undertaken research among the participants. 86% of the total survey in the second phase was conducted online.

The key fundamental aspect of these two approaches was that not all the surveys were completed. Among the 1466 celebrants, about 37% were surveyed before celebrations while 28% were selected for the post-celebration survey, thus the majority of the respondents were not captured for the survey leading o high attrition and low response rate among the participants.

Demographic characteristics of the sample participants

The participants of this study comprised of school leavers aged between 17-18 years of age. Both males and females were recruited for the study thus offering years both genders an equal chance of selection. In the study area, the legal age for alcohol purchase is 18 years. The school leavers due to their naivety are highly attracted to adulthood behavior and actions thus are highly motivated to engage in drinking after school to usher in adulthood. This characteristic display illustrates that the majority of alcohol and drug-related users are school leavers. With their adolescent behavior practices, they are likely to be motivated towards engaging in alcohol and drug-related events to entertain themselves and usher in the school completion phase in their lives.

Inferential characteristics

The inferential assessment utilized in the study involved the use of the Wilcoxon signed-rank test series to make a comparison of alcohol and other drug usages between the two scenario events of prior and post-event context of celebrations in a pared series. Further logistic regression was employed to assess the impact of the six factors which were likely to be reported form of experience of the negative consequence of engaging in alcohol and other drug usages. Independent variability application was applied to assess safety approaches and attenuation of harms approaches. Further usage of protective behavioral strategies survey was used to asses minimal behaviors linked to alcohol and related harm causation on alcohol-related safety approaches.

Odds ratio assessment

The assessment of the odds ratio was based on the four negative effects linked to safety strategies. These effects are hangover occurrences were reported by 3.5 times likely, 3.05 more times likely to get blackout experiences, 2.61 times more likely to report vomiting and engaging in unprotected sex accounting for 10.92 more likely. Respondents who experienced unprotected sex had the highest frequency levels of 10.92 times. This signified that the majority of young adults lack knowledge in engaging in safe practices related to sex. Sex acts were prevalent at 13% among the 301 respondents of both genders. Teenage behavior is critical especially in the western world; with the increased levels of freedom among this younger generation engaging in all sorts of behavior is a ticking bomb. There is a need for reduction strategies geared towards odd ration of the unprotected sexual activity among the adolescent rich generation especially the school leavers.

Sample representation

The sample utilized in this study represents the schoolies who have completed school which reflect the common behavioral tendencies of school leavers to engage in adulthood behaviors inform of celebratory perspectives. The sample represents the actual population and is key to understanding the behavioral mechanism of school leavers. Studies have demonstrated that about 90%-95% of school leavers tend to engage in parties that are full of alcohol and drug-related activities. The legal age for engaging in alcohol and drug-related activities is 18 years thus completion of schools at this age hypes the overall experiences among college graduates and leavers. This sample selection depicts the normal trend and representation of the entire population of this category among young adolescents. Young adults, as well as older adults, tend to get attracted to these partying activities where drug and alcohol use are rampant.  Hence the study selection of the samples depicts the normal trends of the general student and adult behavior patterns.

Paper 2

Aims of the study

The study aims at understanding the guise of the rising tide of diabetes mellitus among the Chinese population. The research is performed through the household interview process from the year 2001 to 2018. The paper has addressed the hypothetical view of the rising prevalence and tide of diabetes mellitus among this population setting. The stage of the disease has been set with an overview of Chinese behavioral patterns. This overview provides the hypothesis indicating the rising tide of diabetes mellitus among the Chinese population and the lack of difference among the Chinese gender stratification on its occurrence and development.

Null hypothesis HO; ‘‘Diabetes is not a rising phenomenon tiding across the Chinese population.”

Alternate hypothesis HI; ‘‘There is observed difference among the gender stratification of diabetes mellitus among the Chinese populous.’’

Demographic characteristics

The study has used Chinese nationals and household set ups to assess the topic of interest. The demographic entails were these nationals aged above 15 years. The survey approach reached a total of 12, 895 persons having diabetes mellitus both male and female. The study targeted persons of this age category to obtain accurate information regarding their health status. There was a high level of respondents which is an essential aspect in the collection and establishing demographic characteristics in research. The household survey nature employed allows for a broader collection of research information and captures wider and broad participants of the study. This perspective allows and is beneficial in collecting broad-based information which is fundamental to the topic of interest in the study.

Inferential statistics

Binary inferential analysis was employed as the key inferential statistics in this Study. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed. This tool of analysis referred to the extension of linear regression analysis which is essential for achieving value and practical assessment of data. For this analysis to be effective there is a need for an adequate sample size for the topic of interest. In this study diabetes mellitus state among the Chinese population was assessed among a total of 121,895 households, spread across four years. Application of binary logistic analysis, advanced age, household and monthly income for the respondents were linked to self-reporting of diabetes mellitus. This data is key in aiding a crucial undertaking of the medical condition of interest and the inherent activity in this field. This crucial information is beneficial in establishing the underlying factors underlying the diabetes rise among this population setting.

Findings after adjustment

The participants engaged in the survey totaled to 121,895 while those who had more than 15 years of disease accounted for 103,367 participants. Male respondents and sex-adjusted prevalence rate of diabetes mellitus for the four years of interest were 2001 had 2.80%, 2002 had 2.87%, 2005 had 3.32 and 2008 had 4.66% of male participants. Among the female participants, after adjusting for age and sex, the prevalence for the years showed that 2001 was 3.25%, 2002 was 3.37%, 2005 was 3.77% and the year 2008 had 4.31%. Across the years investigated, the prevalence was rising steadily upwards among the Chinese population. This signifies and illustrates the development of the rising tiding of diabetes mellitus across the population. There was an observed similarity in the increase of diabetes mellitus rates across the genders in the Chinese population set up.

Odds ratio interpretation

Analysis of odds ratio in the research has shown that persons with greater risks of diabetes are those experiencing an unhealthy lifestyle and lack of quality foods. This is in line with socio-economic reviews which categories poor people with the inability to consume and purchase healthy foods. This leads to the intake and consumption of bad foods which in turn deteriorates their health state leading to occurrences of diseases such as diabetes mellitus. The findings of the study further explore that the female gender has a higher chance of getting diabetes mellitus due to their nature of work they involved in and their lifestyle status. This signifies an increased health issue leading to a proportional increase in health issues. These health issues entail the occurrence of diseases such as diabetes mellitus. Its occurrences are linked to the poor socio-economic state. Persons with low social economic income have greater risks of developing diabetes mellitus compared to those of higher income levels. Further, poor lifestyle across households is a factor towards the emergence of diabetes mellitus, thus the general population is at risk of its development.  

Impact of limitation

The research is underpinned by various limitations which compounds to its weakness. The inherent limitation of identified is the activity levels of people and occurrences of diabetes mellitus. The research has a biased informed perspective on the business activity of the participants and its linkage on lifestyle states. Further, exploration of the larger family set up is limited since the minimum age of the participants was 15 years thus limiting the food habits among the younger population which could serve as a predictor towards adulthood health status. This serves as an essential element towards generalizing the data findings across the entire population set up among the Chinese nationals, thus affecting the generalizability of the findings.

References

Lam, T., Liang, W., Chikritzhs, T., & Allsop, S. (2013). Alcohol and other drug use at school leavers’ celebrations. Journal of Public Health, 36(3), 408-416. Retrieved from: https://jpubhealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2013/08/26/pubmed.fdt087.full.pdf+html

Wong, M. C., Leung, M. C., Tsang, C. S., Lo, S. V., & Griffiths, S. M. (2013). The rising tide of diabetes mellitus in a Chinese population: a population-based household survey on 121,895 persons. International journal of public health, 58(2), 269-276. Retrieved from: https://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.laureate.net.au/10.1007/s00038-012-0364-y