Changes in the prevalence of cigarette smoking and quitting smoking determinants in adult inhabitants of rural areas in Poland between 2003 and 2012.

OBJECTIVES: We investigate trends in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults at all ages in two time points 9 years apart in two neighbouring rural populations and examine social and respiratory health determinants of quitting smoking. STUDY DESIGN: Repeated cross-sectional study. METHODS: Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in the same rural area of lower Silesia in Poland in 2003 and 2012. A total of 1328 (91% of adult eligible individuals) in 2003 and 1449 (92% of eligible) in 2012 adult inhabitants were surveyed, 908 people (560 villagers and 348 town inhabitants) participated in both surveys. Participants completed a questionnaire on smoking behaviour, education level and respiratory diseases. RESULTS: Current smoking was higher in the villages than the town, among men than women and those with a middle level of education. The prevalence of current smokers decreased over time, although this decline was much more pronounced in the town than in the villages (30.2% vs 23% and 35.5% vs 33.7%, respectively). Men were more likely to stop smoking than women both in villages and in town. The prevalence of current smokers among village women even increased between the two surveys from 27.6% to 29.3%. Respiratory diseases did not influence quitting smoking. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of decreasing trend in smoking prevalence varied considerably within neighbouring populations. It was mainly seen in the town and among younger people. Men and those better educated were more willing to quit smoking. The discrepancies between two close rural populations indicates the need for an individual approach when designing programs of tobacco control

Changes in atopy prevalence and sibship effect in rural population at all ages.

BACKGROUND: We examined the associations of family size and birth order with atopy prevalence in rural Poland at two time periods. METHODS: Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in the same villages and a small town of lower Silesia at an interval of 9 years. In 2003, 1700 (88% of eligible individuals), and in 2012, 1730 (86%) inhabitants aged 5 years or more completed a questionnaire and had a skin prick test for atopy. RESULTS: There was an inverse association between family size and atopy in the village population in 2003; the prevalence of atopy was the highest for those with no siblings (15.2%) and decreased to 5.4% for those with three and more siblings (OR = 0.22; 0.07-0.66). In contrast, there was little or no such protective effect in the town population where the prevalence of atopy was much higher (7.3% in the villages, 20.0% in the town). Nine years later, the prevalence of atopy had increased in the village to be similar to that in the town (19.6% and 19.9% respectively), and the protective effects of family size and birth order in the villages were much weaker (OR = 0.64; 95% CI 0.33-1.27 for three or more siblings). Both protective effects were strongest among children. CONCLUSIONS: The protective effects of family size and birth order on atopy were much stronger in children than in adults and among those living in a village. They largely disappeared with the steep increase in atopy prevalence at all ages; this followed environmental changes on the village farms