1,721,234 research outputs found
Effects of the economic crisis on smoking prevalence and number of smokers in the USA
No full textOBJECTIVE: Scanty and controversial information is available on the impact of macroeconomic fluctuations on smoking behaviour. No study has quantified the effects of fiscal crises on smoking prevalence. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the 2007-2008 economic crisis on smoking prevalence and number of smokers in the USA.
METHODS: Using data from the repeated Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys in pre-crisis (2005-2007) and post-crisis (2009-2010) periods on a total of 1,981,607 US adults, we separated the expected (after allowance for the demographic growth of the US population, secular smoking prevalence trends and changes in sociodemographic characteristics) from the unexpected (assumed attributable to the economic crisis) changes in the number of smokers across different employment statuses.
RESULTS: Joinpoint regression analysis revealed no significant changes in smoking prevalence trends over the period 2005-2010. The crisis resulted in an increase in the number of smokers in the US by 0.6 million. This is largely due to an unexpected decrease of 1.7 million smokers among employed and an increase of 2.4 million smokers among unemployed individuals, whose smoking prevalence also remains extremely high in the post-crisis period (32.6%).
CONCLUSIONS: The 2008 financial crisis had a weak effect on smoking prevalence. The pro-cyclical relationship (ie, the crisis results in a lower number of smokers) found among the employed is offset by the counter-cyclical relationship (ie, the crisis results in a higher number of smokers) found among unemployed individuals. Public health interventions should specifically target those in unemployment, particularly in hard times
Strong excess risk of pancreatic cancer for low frequency and duration of cigarette smoking: A comprehensive review and meta-analysis
No full textDose-risk relationships between cigarette smoking and ovarian cancer histotypes: a comprehensive meta-analysis
No full textAlthough smoking has not been associated with overall ovarian cancer risk, a different impact on various histotypes has been reported. Our aim is to provide an accurate, up-to-date estimate of the dose-risk relationships between cigarette smoking and epithelial ovarian cancer, overall and by histotypes
Sleep dissatisfaction and insufficient sleep duration in the Italian population
Full text linkTo investigate the prevalence and possible determinants of sleep quality and quantity, we used data from a cross-sectional study conducted in 2019 on a sample of 3120 subjects, representative of the general Italian adult population. Sleep dissatisfaction was reported by 14.2% and insufficient sleep (duration) by 29.5% of adults. Sleep dissatisfaction and insufficient sleep were directly related with age (p for trend < 0.001), and inversely related with socioeconomic class (p for trend < 0.001) and income (p for trend < 0.001). Sleep dissatisfaction was higher among women (odds ratio, OR 1.30; 95% confidence interval, CI 1.05-1.60). Insufficient sleep was inversely related to education (p for trend < 0.001) and more frequent in current compared to never smokers (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.08-1.61). Sleep dissatisfaction was higher among divorced/separated compared with married subjects (OR 1.75; 95% CI 1.20-2.58) and lower among subjects living with children aged 0-14 years (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.33-0.70). Pet owners more frequently had sleep dissatisfaction (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.08-1.68) and insufficient sleep (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.23-1.73). In Italy, self-perceived sleep problems appear to be increasing. Sleep problems can contribute to aggravating health disparities in the society. The unfavourable relationship with pets (and the favourable ones with children) should be confirmed by longitudinal studies
General practitioners and dentists: A call for action against Tobacco
No full textIntroduction: To investigate the frequency of advice to quit smoking received by the Italian population from general practitioners (GP) and dentists, we analyzed a cross-sectional study. Methods: A face-to-face survey was conducted in 2014 on 3052 individuals, representative of the general Italian population aged 15 years or more. Results: During the previous year, 89% of individuals (82% of smokers) reported that they had visited a GP while 71% (67% of smokers) had visited a dentist. Among smokers, 25% reported that they had received advice to quit smoking from their GP, and 26% from their dentist. Advice by GPs was less frequently received by smokers with higher education (multivariate odds ratios (OR) were 0.48 for intermediate and 0.38 for high as compared to low education), and more frequently by heavy smokers (≥ 15 cigarettes/day; OR = 1.78), those with intention to quit (OR = 2.59), with previous quit attempts (OR = 2.09), and those aware of the existence of smoking cessation services (OR = 1.59). Advice by dentists was more frequently received by smokers aged 25-44 years (OR = 3.55 compared to those aged 15-24) and those with an intention to quit (OR = 2.46). Among Italian current smokers, 32% reported that their GP and 17% that their dentist was a current smoker. The corresponding figures among young smokers were 40% and 26%, respectively. Conclusion: Healthcare providers have the potential to become a key reference point in the fight against smoking. However, before acting, GPs and dentists should set a good example: those who smoke should urgently quit or at least refrain from smoking during working hours. Implications: GPs and dentists, reaching the large majority of Italian smokers, can make a major contribution in the fight against tobacco. Future studies are needed to investigate possible reasons of the apparently high smoking prevalence among GPs, in order to develop tailored smoking cessation interventions for healthcare providers
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CIGARETTE SMOKING AND BREAST CANCER RISK: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS
No full text: BackgroundThe possible association between cigarette smoking and breast cancer risk has been quite controversial.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of all available observational studies published on the issue up to January 2020. Random-effects models were used to compute pooled relative risks (RRs) for cigarette smoking status and dose-risk relationships were evaluated using one-stage random-effects dose-response models.ResultsA total of 169 studies were selected, providing a pooled RR for breast cancer of 1.07 (95% confidence interval, CI, 1.05-1.10) for current, 1.08 (95% CI 1.06-1.10) for former, and 1.09 (95% CI 1.07-1.11) for ever smokers, compared to never smokers. Results were consistent in case-control and cohort studies. No meaningful differences were observed across strata of most covariates considered, nor according to relevant genetic mutations and polymorphisms (i.e., BRCA mutation, N-acetyltransferase and glutathione S-transferase genotypes, and P53). Breast cancer risk increased linearly with intensity of smoking (RR 1.12, 95% CI 1.08-1.16, for 20 and 1.26, 95% CI 1.17-1.36 for 40 cigarettes/day), and with increasing duration of smoking (RR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.08, for 20 and 1.11, 95% CI 1.06-1.16, for 40 years of smoking).ConclusionsThe present large and comprehensive meta-analysis - conducted using an innovative approach for study search - supports the evidence of causal role of tobacco smoking on breast cancer risk
Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on smoking consumption in a large representative sample of Italian adults
No full textOBJECTIVES: Italy is one of the first countries that imposed a nationwide stay-at-home order during the COVID-19 outbreak, inevitably resulting in changes in lifestyles and addictive behaviours. The aim of this work is to investigate the impact of lockdown restrictions on smoking habits using data collected within the Lost in Italy project.METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted on a representative sample of 6003 Italian adults aged 18-74 years. Study subjects were recruited from 27 April to 3 May 2020 and were asked to report changes in smoking habits before the lockdown and at the time of interview.RESULTS: During the lockdown, 5.5% of the overall sample quit or reduced smoking, but 9.0% of the sample started, relapsed smoking or increased their smoking intensity. In total, the lockdown increased cigarette consumption by 9.1%. An improvement in smoking habits was associated with younger age, occasional smoking and unemployment, whereas a worsening was mainly associated with mental distress. In particular, an increase in cigarette consumption during lockdown was more frequently reported among those with worsening quality of life (OR: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.49 to 2.80), reduction in sleep quantity (OR: 2.29; 95%CI: 1.71 to 3.07) and increased anxiety (OR: 1.83; 95%CI: 1.38 to 2.43) and depressive symptoms (OR: 2.04; 95%CI: 1.54 to 2.71).CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 lockdown had a huge impact on smoking consumption of the Italian general population. The main concern is for smokers who increase their cigarette consumption due to an increased mental distress. Providing greater resources for cessation services capable of reducing mental health symptoms in smokers is urgently needed
The role of novel nicotine-containing products on SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 progression
No full text
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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