How much improvement in mental health can be expected when people stop smoking? Findings from a national survey

Background and aims: There is evidence that mental health improves when smokers stop. This study aimed to assess in a nationally representative sample how far anxiety and depression in long-term ex-smokers can be expected eventually to reach levels found in those who have never smoked. Methods: Data from the Smoking Toolkit Study (STS) were used. The STS involves monthly household surveys of representative samples of the adult population of England. Anxiety and depression were compared using an item from the EQ5-D in respondents aged 40+ years where were either current smokers, never smokers, or had stopped for at least a year, adjusting statistically for age, gender and social grade. Results: The prevalence of anxiety or depression was 10.0% (95% CI 9.1-10.9) in never smokers, 18.3% (95% CI 16.0-20.6) in current smokers, and 11.3% (95% CI 9.6-13.0) in long-term ex-smokers. After adjusting for age, sex and social grade, long-term ex-smokers were similar to never smokers (OR=1.15, 95% CI=0.94-1.41). Current smokers had higher prevalence than never smokers (OR=1.69, 95% CI=1.39-2.04) and ex-smokers (OR=1.47, 95% CI=1.15-1.86). Conclusions: Prevalence of anxiety and depression in long-term ex-smokers appears to be similar to what is found in never smokers

Soil groups of Western Australia: a simple guide to the main soils of Western Australia (4th edn)

This publication provides a simple, standardised and easy-to-understand way to recognise the most common soils in Western Australia. It is designed to: 1) Provide a standard way of giving common names to the main soils of the State; 2) Provide a simple method to identify them; 3) Assist with the communication of soils information at a general level

Estimating the population impact of e-cigarettes on smoking cessation in England

An important consideration when assessing the public health impact of e-cigarettes is how far they contribute to, or detract from, smoking cessation in the population. There has been speculation about this (1), but without engaging appropriately with the relevant data and based on unreliable assumptions. England has data that can help to address this question, at least so far. Addiction's readers may be interested in the following analysis. It focuses on 2014, the most recent year for which full data are available. It leads to an estimate of 16K-22K as the number of additional long-term quitters generated by e-cigarettes in that year

Studi Eksperimental Pengaruh Model Sistem Saluran dan Variasi Temperatur Tuang terhadap Prosentase Porositas, Kekerasan dan Harga Impact pada Pengecoran Adc 12 dengan Metode Lost Foam Casting

Metode pengecoran lost foam merupakan metode yang tergolong baru dalam industri pengecoran logam. Pada saat ini belum banyak industri pengecoran logam yang menggunakan metode ini dalam memproduksi benda cor. Sedikitnya industri yang menerapkan metode pengecoran ini, yang mendorong untuk melakukan percobaan pengecoran dengan menggunakan metode lost foam, dengan melakukan perbedaan variasi temperatur tuang dan variasi model sistem saluran. Proses pengecoran dengan metode lost foam ini menggunakan styrofoam sebagai polanya, yang ditanam dalam cetakan yang berisi pasir silika kering (tanpa pengikat) kemudian cetakan digetarkan untuk memadatkan pasir. Ketika logam cair dimasukkan ke dalam cetakan, maka styrofoam akan menguap sampai cetakan tersebut terisi penuh oleh logam cair. Dalam penelitian ini, parameter yang digunakan adalah model sistem saluran dan variasi temperatur tuang terhadap kualitas hasil coran, diantaranya kekerasan, harga impact, prosentase porositas dan struktur mikro. Material yang digunakan dalam pengecoran ini adalah ADC (Aluminium Die Casting) 12. Parameter pertama yaitu model sistem saluran meliputi saluran samping, saluran bawah, saluran bawah dengan 2 gate dan saluran bawah dengan 3 gate dengan temperatur tuang konstan 700°C. Parameter kedua yaitu variasi perbedaan temperatur tuang antara 700°C, 750°C, 800°C dan 850°C dengan sistem saluran samping. Dari hasil penelitian ini diperoleh bahwa sistem saluran samping memiliki prosentase cacat porositas paling sedikit dibanding sistem saluran lainnya yaitu sebesar 2,7535% dan memiliki harga impact rata-rata paling besar yaitu 0,0275 J/mm2 pada potongan 1 dan 0,0660 J/mm2 pada potongan 2. Variasi temperatur tuang berpengaruh terhadap banyaknya cacat porositas dan harga impact rata-rata. Temperatur tuang 700°C dibanding temperatur tuang yang lain memiliki cacat porositas paling sedikit dan harga impact rata-rata paling besar yaitu 0,0275 J/mm2 pada potongan 1 dan 0,0660 J/mm2 pada potongan 2. Namun dari hasil pengujian kekerasan baik pada parameter model sistem saluran dan variasi temperatur tuang tidak dapat menunjukan perbedaan yang jelas

Positive smoker identity as a barrier to quitting smoking: findings from a national survey of smokers in England

It has been proposed that positive smoker identity may be an important factor undermining smoking cessation but very little research exists on this. This study tested the hypothesis that a simple measure of positive smoker identity would predict quit attempts over and above other known predictors in a population sample. More tentatively it explored whether this measure would also predict quit success

Usability testing of a smoking cessation smartphone application ('SmokeFree Baby'): a think-aloud study with pregnant smokers

BACKGROUND: Only a few digital interventions have been developed for pregnant smokers, and little is known about the acceptability and usability of smartphone apps to aid cessation in pregnancy. This study aimed to explore pregnant smokers’ views on the design, content and usability of a pregnancy-specific smoking cessation app in order to inform intervention development and optimisation. METHODS: Ten interviews were conducted and the ‘think-aloud’ protocol was used in order to explore participants’ views about a smoking cessation smartphone app (‘SmokeFree Baby’). The data were subsequently thematically analysed. Participants were 18 and over, pregnant, and daily or weekly cigarette smokers. RESULTS: Three main themes were identified: views about the design elements, mode of delivery and content of the intervention. App design was considered as an important element that might influence potential users’ engagement with the intervention. Participants felt that the intervention content was educational, motivational and non-judgemental. However, it was emphasised that the app should provide further options for personalisation and include more practical features. CONCLUSIONS: Delivering smoking cessation support via a smartphone app can be feasible and acceptable for pregnant smokers. They appear to value content that is motivational, educational and personalised, and meeting these requirements may be important for user experience and promoting engagement with the intervention