‘The Drug Survey App’: a protocol for developing and validating an interactive population survey tool for drug use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians

Abstract

Background Disadvantage and transgenerational trauma contribute to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) Australians being more likely to experience adverse health consequences from alcohol and other drug use than non-Indigenous peoples. Addressing these health inequities requires local monitoring of alcohol and other drug use. While culturally appropriate methods for measuring drinking patterns among Indigenous Australians have been established, no similar methods are available for measuring other drug use patterns (amount and frequency of consumption). This paper describes a protocol for creating and validating a tablet-based survey for alcohol and other drugs (“The Drug Survey App”). Methods The Drug Survey App will be co-designed with stakeholders including Indigenous Australian health professionals, addiction specialists, community leaders, and researchers. The App will allow participants to describe their drug use flexibly with an interactive, visual interface. The validity of estimated consumption patterns, and risk assessments will be tested against those made in clinical interviews conducted by Indigenous Australian health professionals. We will then trial the App as a population survey tool by using the App to determine the prevalence of substance use in two Indigenous communities. Discussion The App could empower Indigenous Australian communities to conduct independent research that informs local prevention and treatment efforts.

A web-based application for reducing methamphetamine use amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: A wait-list control randomised trial. (Preprint)

“…Participants' mean (SD) age was 33.9 (8.7) years. They had been using methamphetamine from a median age of 21 years (IQR 18-28 years) and had used methamphetamine on a median (IQR) of 20 [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] days in the past 4 weeks. Eighty-two per cent smoked tobacco (92% of these, daily).…”

“…[9] In a context where demand for specialist alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment across urban, rural and remote settings in Australia is not met by available services, much of the burden for providing care to people who use methamphetamine falls to primary health care services. [11] The AOD assessment [17,18], psychosocial assessment and care planning [19], and suicide prevention.…”

Deeper understandings of patterns of drinking among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: Informing policy and practice

“…This would be particularly useful in remote communities where there are typically fewer trained health professionals, and many of these come from a different language and cultural context to the communities they serve. Formal study of the extent to which use of the Grog Survey App could reduce risky drinking would be valuable 19 …”

“…Formal study of the extent to which use of the Grog Survey App could reduce risky drinking would be valuable. 19 …”