Predicting smokers' non-compliance with smoking restrictions in public places

Objective: The present study aimed to identify the predictors of non-compliance with smoking restrictions among Greek college student smokers. Differences in attitudes to smoking bans and tobacco control policies between current smokers and non-smokers were also examined. Methods: Data were collected from college students (n = 229, mean (SD) age 21.27 (3.15) years). Measures included tobacco dependence, attitudes to tobacco control policies, outcome expectancy and normative beliefs. Results: The majority of current smokers reported noncompliance with existing restrictions. Logistic regression analysis showed that non-compliance was significantly predicted by (less) anticipated regret from tobacco-related health harm, tobacco dependence and perceived prevalence and social acceptability of smoking. Analysis of variance indicated that current non-smokers held significantly more positive attitudes to smoking bans and tobacco control policies than current smokers. Conclusions: Smoking was highly prevalent, and more than half of current smokers reported not complying with existing regulations in public places. Smokers' attitudes to smoking bans and tobacco control policies did not have an effect on compliance behaviour. Future policies to promote compliance with smoking restrictions in Greece should target health-related anticipated regret, and perceived social norms

Sources of, and responses to, stress among greek team handball referees : qualitative data

Etude des situations de jeu stressantes pour les arbitres (84) et de leurs réactions comportementales à ces situations : arbitrage d'un match important, conflit avec un partenaire, blessure d'un athlète, perte de contrôle du jeu, injures des joueurs ou des entraîneurs, erreurs de score, présence des média, comportement violent des spectateurs, etc

Recognizing and Preventing Burnout among Orthopaedic Leaders

Stress, emotional exhaustion, and burnout are widespread in the medical profession in general and in orthopaedic surgery in particular. We attempted to identify variables associated with burnout as assessed by validated instruments. Surveys were sent to 282 leaders from orthopaedic surgery academic departments in the United States by e-mail and mail. Responses were received from 195 leaders for a response rate of 69%. The average surgeon worked 68.3 hours per week and more than ½ of this time was allocated to patient care. Highest stressors included excessive workload, increasing overhead, departmental budget deficits, tenure and promotion, disputes with the dean, and loss of key faculty. Personal-professional life imbalance was identified as an important risk factor for emotional exhaustion. Withdrawal, irritability, and family disagreements are early warning indicators of burnout and emotional exhaustion. Orthopaedic leaders can learn, and potentially model, ways to mitigate stress from other high-stress professions. Building on the strength of marital and family bonds, improving stress management skills and self-regulation, and improving efficiency and productivity can combine to assist the orthopaedic surgery leader in preventing burnout and emotional exhaustion

Influence of competition level on referees’ decision-making in handball

International audienceThe influence of competition level on referees' decision-making was investigated. Referees' decisions in 90 handball games (30 games X 3 competition levels) were observed in different situations related to the advantage rule, and 100 referees from two different levels of expertise were subsequently asked to offer explanations for the competition-level effects from the first part of the study. Results revealed that at the highest level of competition referees intervened less frequently with sporting sanctions, but more frequently with disciplinary sanctions. These effects were apparent mainly in immediate intervention situations and unsuccessful advantage situations, but not in successful situations. Referees explained these effects of competition level in terms of a player competence stereotype, in addition to referees' different expertise across competition level. The implications of the findings for understanding how status-related stereotypes impact on intervention behavior are discussed