scholarly journals Are Smoking Habits Changing among Spanish Health Professionals? Results from the SUN Cohort 1999–2008

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. TUI.S3001 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ruiz-Canela ◽  
M.A. Martínez-González ◽  
C. López-del Burgo ◽  
J. De Irala ◽  
J.J. Beunza ◽  
...  

Introduction Smoking by health professionals is a very negative habit not only for their own health, but also because it diminishes their capacity to influence their smoker patients to quit their habits. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the trend of the smoking prevalence, as well as the impact of the 2005 Spanish Smoking Act, among healthcare professionals. Methods Participants were asked about their smoking consumption in the baseline and the follow-up questionnaires in a Spanish dynamic prospective cohort of university graduates (the SUN Project) from 1999 to 2008. Non-conditional logistic regression models were fit to assess the relationship between type of profession and prevalence of smoking. Results The proportion of current smokers at the entrance into the cohort was 16.4% for physicians, 20.8% for pharmacists, 23.4% for nurses and 24% for other university graduates. The risk of being current smoker (adjusted OR [95% CI]) was lower in physicians (0.68 [0.61–0.76]) but not in pharmacists (0.94 [0.84–1.06]) or nurses (0.94 [0.84–1.05]) compared to other university graduates. All professional groups presented a statistically significant decline of smoking prevalence from 1999 to 2008. This decline might be at least partly due to the impact of the Spanish legislation on their smoking habits. Conclusion This study shows a decline in smoking prevalence among Spanish physicians. This decline has reached lower levels than what is current among other professionals and the general population. However, there is still a high number of smokers among health professionals, thus more efforts are needed to achieve lower levels of tobacco consumption.

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
El-Shadan Tautolo ◽  
Leon Iusitini ◽  
Steve Taylor ◽  
Janis Paterson

Aims: To examine the prevalence of smoking, motivations for cessation, and impact of tobacco excise tax increases amongst a cohort of Pacific fathers at 11 years after the birth of their child.Methods: Within the context of broader interviews, 723 Pacific fathers participating in the Pacific Islands Families (PIF) Study were surveyed about their smoking at the 11-year measurement point. Prevalence of smoking was calculated, alongside motivations to quit, and the impact of increases to the excise tax on tobacco.Results: Smoking prevalence amongst Pacific fathers remains high (38%) at 11 years postpartum, although 81% of smokers disclosed interest in quitting smoking. The strongest motivation to quit smoking was their ‘own health’ (n = 185, 82%), followed by ‘the cost’ (n = 148, 66%), and the impact on ‘their child's health’ (n = 113, 50%). Among smokers, 12% (n = 31) had never attempted to quit, whereas 63% (n = 159) had made multiple attempts. Approximately 70% (n = 191) of smokers indicated the New Zealand Government-initiated tobacco excise tax increases caused them to reduce their tobacco consumption.Conclusions: High smoking prevalence amongst this cohort raises serious concerns about the risks Pacific families and communities face from smoking. Maintaining a sustained series of tobacco excise tax increases, alongside the utilisation of information on key motivators for Pacific fathers to quit smoking, may prove more effective in supporting Pacific communities to achieve the New Zealand Government's Smokefree 2025 goal.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Erskine ◽  
Vivien Daley ◽  
Sue Stevenson ◽  
Bronwen Rhodes ◽  
Lutz Beckert

Background. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Canterbury in September 2010. This earthquake and associated aftershocks took the lives of 185 people and drastically changed residents’ living, working, and social conditions.Aim. To explore the impact of the earthquakes on smoking status and levels of tobacco consumption in the residents of Christchurch.Methods. Semistructured interviews were carried out in two city malls and the central bus exchange 15 months after the first earthquake. A total of 1001 people were interviewed.Results. In August 2010, prior to any earthquake, 409 (41%) participants had never smoked, 273 (27%) were currently smoking, and 316 (32%) were ex-smokers. Since the September 2010 earthquake, 76 (24%) of the 316 ex-smokers had smoked at least one cigarette and 29 (38.2%) had smoked more than 100 cigarettes. Of the 273 participants who were current smokers in August 2010, 93 (34.1%) had increased consumption following the earthquake, 94 (34.4%) had not changed, and 86 (31.5%) had decreased their consumption. 53 (57%) of the 93 people whose consumption increased reported that the earthquake and subsequent lifestyle changes as a reason to increase smoking.Conclusion. 24% of ex-smokers resumed smoking following the earthquake, resulting in increased smoking prevalence. Tobacco consumption levels increased in around one-third of current smokers.


1994 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo La Vecchia ◽  
Romano Pagano ◽  
Adriano Decerli ◽  
Monica Ferraroni

Smoking prevalence and patterns in Italy were analyzed using data from the 1990-1991 Italian National Health Survey, based on a sample of 27, 135 males and 28,854 females aged 15 years or over, randomly selected within strata of geographic area and size of the place of residence and of the household, in order to be representative of the general Italian population. Overall, 26.9% of the Italians aged 15 years or over described themselves as current smokers (37.2% males, 17.4% females), and 14.0% as ex-smokers (22.2% males, 6.4% females). The difference in smoking prevalence between males and females was 65% below age 45, but increased substantially with increasing age up to 5-fold above age 65. Moderate smokers (< 15 cigarettes per day) were 12.6% of males and 10.4% of females, intermediate smokers (15 to 24 cigarettes per day) 17.7% of males and 5.5% of females, and heavy smokers (> 25 cigarettes per day) 6.3% of males and 1.5% of females. Pipe or cigar smokers were 0.6% of males. The averange number of cigarettes per smoker per day was 16.6 (17.9 for males, 14.0 for females). The overall smoking prevalence of 26.9% was the lowest registered since 1949, thus confirming the long-term steady decline of smoking, particularly among males. Smoking prevalence, however, has remained constant over the last 15 years among females, after substantial rises in previous calendar years. These falls in overall self-reported smoking prevalence were reflected in declines of legal sale figures (-15% between 1986 and 1991), although it is difficult to quantify the impact of smuggling on total tobacco consumption. Thus, at least part of the falls in self-reported tobacco consumption is attributable to increased underreporting. In males, but not in females, smoking was less frequent in northern (and wealthier) areas of the country, and in more educated individuals. The opposite pattern was observed in females, indicating that even more educated Italian women have not yet recognized the accumulated evidence on the health consequences of smoking. These patterns in smoking are reflected by recent trends in lung cancer, which show some decline in males but persistent upward trends in females, although still on much lower absolute values.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie-Qi Jin ◽  
Dong Han ◽  
Qi Tian ◽  
Zhao-Yue Chen ◽  
Yun-Shao Ye ◽  
...  

Abstract Few studies have evaluated the short-term association between hospital admissions and individual exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM2.5). Particularly, no studies focused on hospital admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at individual level. We assessed the short-term effects of PM2.5 on hospitalization admissions for COPD in Guangzhou, China, during 2014–2015, based on satellite-derived estimates of ambient PM2.5 concentrations at 1-km resolution near the residential address as individual-level exposure for each patient. 40,002 patients with COPD admitted to 110 hospitals were included in this study. A time-stratified case-crossover design with conditional logistic regression models was applied to assess the effects of PM2.5 based on 1-km grid data of aerosol optical depth provided by National Aeronautics and Space Administration on hospital admissions for COPD. Further, we performed stratified analyses by individual demographic characteristics and season of hospital admission. 10 µg/m3 increase in individual-level PM2.5 was associated with an increase of 1.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6%, 2.7%) in hospitalization for COPD at lag of 0–5 days. The impact of PM2.5 on hospitalization for COPD was greater significantly in male and patients admitted in summer and accordingly the impacts may be exacerbated in the context of global warming. Our study strengthened the evidence for the adverse effect of PM2.5 based on satellite-based individual-level exposure data.


2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 2064-2072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Fernández-Montero ◽  
Maira Bes-Rastrollo ◽  
Juan J Beunza ◽  
Maria Teresa Barrio-Lopez ◽  
Carmen de la Fuente-Arrillaga ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the long-term relationship between tree nut consumption and the risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS).DesignNut consumption was collected using a validated 136-item FFQ. The MetS was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation and American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute harmonizing definition. The association between nut consumption and MetS was assessed with logistic regression models adjusting for potential confounders. We compared the incidence of MetS between extreme categories of nut intake (≥2 servings/weekv. never/almost never) after 6 years of follow-up.SettingThe SUN Project (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra, University of Navarra Follow-up) is a prospective cohort study, formed of Spanish university graduates. Information is gathered by mailed questionnaires collected biennially. Nut consumption and MetS information was collected by self-reported data.SubjectsParticipants (n9887) initially free of MetS or diabetes and followed up for a minimum of 6 years were included.ResultsWe observed 567 new cases of MetS during follow-up. Participants who consumed nuts ≥2 servings/week presented a 32 % lower risk of developing MetS than those who never/almost never consumed (adjusted OR = 0·68, 95 % CI 0·50, 0·92). The inverse association was stronger among participants who were health professionals.ConclusionsNut consumption was significantly associated with lower risk of developing MetS after a 6-year follow-up period in a cohort of Spanish graduates.


Author(s):  
Jie-Qi Jin ◽  
Dong Han ◽  
Qi Tian ◽  
Zhao-Yue Chen ◽  
Yun-Shao Ye ◽  
...  

AbstractFew studies have evaluated the short-term association between hospital admissions and individual exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM2.5). Particularly, no studies focused on hospital admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at the individual level. We assessed the short-term effects of PM2.5 on hospitalization admissions for COPD in Guangzhou, China, during 2014–2015, based on satellite-derived estimates of ambient PM2.5 concentrations at a 1-km resolution near the residential address as individual-level exposure for each patient. Around 40,002 patients with COPD admitted to 110 hospitals were included in this study. A time-stratified case-crossover design with conditional logistic regression models was applied to assess the effects of PM2.5 based on a 1-km grid data of aerosol optical depth provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on hospital admissions for COPD. Further, we performed stratified analyses by individual demographic characteristics and season of hospital admission. Around 10 μg/m3 increase in individual-level PM2.5 was associated with an increase of 1.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6%, 2.7%) in hospitalization for COPD at a lag of 0–5 days. The impact of PM2.5 on hospitalization for COPD was greater significantly in males and patients admitted in summer. Our study strengthened the evidence for the adverse effect of PM2.5 based on satellite-based individual-level exposure data.


BMJ Open ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (10) ◽  
pp. e005539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingeborg Lund ◽  
Karl Erik Lund

ObjectivesProviding lifetime smoking prevalence data and gender-specific cigarette consumption data for use in epidemiological studies of tobacco-induced cancer in Norway. Characterising smoking patterns in birth cohorts is essential for evaluating the impact of tobacco control interventions and predicting smoking-related mortality.SettingNorway.ParticipantsPreviously analysed annual surveys of smoking habits from 1954 to 1992, and individual lifetime smoking histories collected in 1965 from a sample of people born in 1893–1927, were supplemented with new annual surveys of smoking habits from 1993 to 2013. Age range 15–74 years.Primary outcome measureCurrent smoking proportions in 5-year gender-and-birth cohorts of people born between 1890 and 1994.ResultsThe proportion of smokers increased in male cohorts until the 1950s, when the highest proportion of male smokers (76–78%) was observed among those born in 1915–1934. Among women, the peak (52%) occurred 20 years later, in women born in 1940–1949. After 1970 smoking has declined in all cohorts of men and women. In the 1890–1894 cohorts, male smoking prevalence was several times higher than female, but the gap declined until no gender difference was present among those born after 1950. Gender-specific per capita consumption was even more skewed, and men have consumed over 70% of all cigarettes since 1930. The incidence of lung cancer for men peaked at around 2000, with the highest incidence rate estimated at ca. 38%. The incidence of lung cancer for women is still increasing, and estimated incidence rate for 2011 was 25.2%.ConclusionsIn an epidemiological perspective, men have had a longer and more intense exposure to cigarettes than women. The gender-specific incidence of lung cancer reflects the gender difference in consumption over time.


2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 897-908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eunice Rodriguez ◽  
Renee Marquett ◽  
Ladson Hinton ◽  
Melen McBride ◽  
Dolores Gallagher-Thompson

ABSTRACTBackground: There has been limited focus on evaluation of continuing education (CEU) and continuing medical education (CME) in the fields of gerontology and geriatrics. The increasing elderly population combined with the limited clinical workforce highlights the need for more effective methods of continuing education. Traditionally, outcomes of CEU and CME programs relied on self-report measures of satisfaction with the scope and quality of the training, but more recent efforts in this area have focused on outcomes indicating level of improved skills and attitudinal changes of medical and allied health professionals towards working with elderly patients in need of assistance.Methods: This study focused on the use of “Action Plans” as a tool to stimulate changes in clinical programs following training, along with attempting to determine typical barriers to change and how to deal with them. More than 600 action plans were obtained from participants attending various continuing education classes providing training on care of patients with dementia (PWD) and their families. Both qualitative and quantitative methods, including logistic regression models were used to analyze the data.Results: Three months following training 366 participants reported whether they were successful in implementing their action plans and identified factors that either facilitated or hindered their goal to make changes outlined in their action plans. Despite the low response rate of program participants, the “action plan” (with follow up to determine degree of completion) appeared to stimulate effective behavioral changes in clinicians working with dementia patients and their family members. Seventy three percent of the respondents reported at least some level of success in implementing specific changes. Specific details about barriers to change and how to overcome them are discussed.Conclusions: Our results support that developing and writing action plans can be a useful tool to self- monitor behavioral change among trainees over time.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0260415
Author(s):  
Cuong Viet Nguyen ◽  
Thu Thi Le ◽  
Nguyen Hanh Nguyen

Vietnam is one of countries with the highest number of smokers in the world and the high smoking prevalence among men in the region. Although the real cigarette prices increased by around 4% during the 2010–2015 period, the prevalence of daily cigarette smoking among men decreased slightly from 31.3% to 30.7% during this period. This raises the question of whether cigarette consumption is sensitive to price. In this study, we estimated the effect of cigarette prices on smoking participation and tobacco expenditure in Vietnam. We found that a one-percent increase in the real cigarette price reduced the probability of cigarette smoking among males by 0.08 percentage points (95% CI from -0.06 to -0.10), equivalent to the price elasticity of the smoking prevalence at -0.26 (95% CI from -0.16% to -0.33%). Using this estimate, we predict that if the cigarette price is increased by 10%, the daily cigarette smoking prevalence among men would decrease from 30.7% to 29.9% and the number of male smokers would decline by around 270 thousand. Higher cigarette prices also reduced per capita tobacco expenditure of households. A one-percent increase in the cigarette price decreased per capita expenditure on tobacco consumption expenditure of households by 0.43 percent (the 95% CI from -0.029 to 0.822). This finding suggests that raising tobacco taxes and prices can be an effective measure to reduce tobacco use.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Jedidiah Anderson

This paper deals with the concept of Al-Waṭan, or ‘the homeland’, in Arabic in The Shell (Al-Qawqʿa) by Muṣṭafā Khalifa and Men in the Sun (Rijāl fīsh-Shams) by Ghassān Kanafānī. Analysis of how alienation from this concept has affected both Khalifa's and Kanafānī's characters is carried out through the lenses of Deleuze and Guattari's theories of rhizomatic associations and minor literature, as well as through the lens of affect theory. The paper also examines parallels between definitions of Al-Waṭan/the homeland in Ibn Manẓūr's classical dictionary Lisān al-ʿArab and Deleuze and Guattari's concepts of the war machine and the apparatus of capture.


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