27 research outputs found
Stakeholders' opinions about a tobacco policy in Lao PDR
The global epidemic of tobacco smoking is expected to impact hardest in low- and middle- income countries (LMIC). There is a lack of understanding regarding the policy environments within which tobacco control policies are being introduced particularly in LMIC. This study aims at exploring key stakeholders' beliefs about a tobacco policy in Lao PDR
Quitline in smoking cessation : a cost-effectiveness analysis
OBJECTIVES: The cost-effectiveness of the Swedish quitline, a nation-wide, free of charge service, is assessed.
METHODS: The study was based on data of a sample
of 1131 callers enrolled from February 1, 2000 to November 30, 2001. Outcome was
measured as cost per quitter and cost per year of life saved. Cost per quitter
was based on a calculation of the total cost of the quitline divided by the
number of individuals who reported abstinence after 12 months. The cost per life
year saved (LYS) was calculated by the use of data from the literature on average
life expectancy for smokers versus quitters, the total cost of the quitline, and
the cost of pharmacological treatment.
RESULTS: The number of smokers who used
the quitline and reported abstinence after 1 year was 354 (31 percent). The
accumulated number of life years saved in the study population was 2400. The cost
per quitter was 1052-1360 USD, and the cost per life year saved was 311-401 USD.
A sensitivity analysis showed that, for outcomes down to an abstinence rate of 20
percent, the cost per LYS rose modestly, from 311 to 482 USD. Discounting the
cost per LYS showed the cost to be 135 USD for 3 percent and 283 USD for 5
percent.
CONCLUSIONS: The Swedish quitline is a cost-effective public health
intervention compared with other smoking cessation interventions.Swedish Government through The National Institute of Public HealthThe Swedish Cancer SocietyThe Swedish Heart-Lung FoundationThe National Corporation of Swedish PharmaciesPublishe
Symptoms in smokers trying to quit
AIMS: To describe the prevalence and intensity of different symptoms in relation
to tobacco abstinence. To explore latent dimensions between symptoms in smokers
trying to quit.
DESIGN: A cross sectional study using a questionnaire to
retrospectively assess symptoms over a period of 12 months.
SETTING: Swedish
telephone quitline, a nationwide free of charge service.
PARTICIPANTS: All 741
individuals who had called the quitline and signed up for smoking cessation
treatment between February 2000 to November 2001 and reported to have been smoke
free for at least 24 hours during the previous 12 month period from first
contact.
MEASUREMENTS: Assessments were made by self-report, and abstinence was
defined as "not a single puff of smoke during the last week". A factor analysis
approach where individual items aggregate into factors was used to explore the
relationship between the different symptoms.
FINDINGS: High intensity of symptoms
related to unsuccessful quitting attempts and included craving, irritability,
apprehension/anxiety, difficulties concentrating, restlessness,
depression/depressed mood, and insomnia. The factor loadings of all 17 symptoms
resulted in three factors with factor 1, psychological being the most important.
High scores on this factor relates to unsuccessful quitting attempts. Using
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) for 5 weeks or longer, reduced symptoms
included in factor 1. The other two factors were factor 2 physiological and
factor 3 neurological.
CONCLUSION: Symptoms that are psychological and/or
neurological in nature are interrelated and appear to be the most significant
obstacles for successful quitting attempts in a population-based setting. These
symptoms may be successfully treated with NRT.NonePublishe
Smoking prevalence, determinants, knowledge, attitudes and habits among Buddhist monks in Lao PDR
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This cross-sectional study, the first of its kind, uses baseline data on smoking prevalence among Buddhist monks in Northern and Central provinces of Lao PDR.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Between March and September 2006, 390 monks were interviewed, using questionnaires, to assess smoking prevalence including determinants, knowledge and attitudes. Data entry was performed with Epi-Info (version 6.04) and data analysis with SPSS version 11. Descriptive analysis was employed for all independent and dependent variables. Chi-square or Fisher's exact test were used for categorical variables to compare smoking status, knowledge, attitudes and province. Logistic regression was applied to identify determinants of smoking. Daily current smoking was 11.8%. Controlling for confounding variables, age at start of monkhood and the length of religious education were significant determinants of smoking. The majority of the monks 67.9% were in favor of the idea that offerings of cigarettes should be prohibited and that they should refuse the cigarettes offered to them (30.3%) but, in fact, 34.8% of the monks who were current smokers accepted cigarettes from the public.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Some monks were smokers, whilst they, in fact, should be used as non-smoking role models. There was no anti-smoking policy in temples. This needs to be addressed when setting up smoke-free policies at temples.</p
Smoking among Lao medical doctors: challenges and opportunities for tobacco control
BACKGROUND: Smoking is an increasing threat to health in low-income and middle-income countries and doctors are recognised as important role models in anti-smoking campaigns. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to identify the smoking prevalence of medical doctors in Laos, their tobacco-related knowledge and attitudes, and their involvement in and capacity for tobacco prevention and control efforts. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional national survey by a researcher-administered, face-to-face questionnaire implemented at provincial health facilities throughout the central (including national capital), northern and southern regions of Laos in 2007. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. RESULTS: Of the 855 participants surveyed, 9.2% were current smokers and 18.4% were ex-smokers; smoking was least common in the central region (p<0.05) and far more prevalent in males (17.3% vs 0.4%; p<0.001). Smoking was concentrated among older doctors (p <0.001). Over 84% of current smokers wanted to quit, and 74.7% had made a recent serious attempt to do so. Doctors had excellent knowledge and positive attitudes to tobacco control, although smokers were relatively less knowledgeable and positive on some items. While 78% of doctors were engaged in cessation support, just 24% had been trained to do so, and a mere 8.8% considered themselves 'well prepared'. CONCLUSION: The willingness of doctors to take up their tobacco control role and the lower smoking rates among younger respondents offers an important window of opportunity to consolidate their knowledge, attitudes, skills and enthusiasm as cessation advocates and supports
Risk Factors of Pancreatic Cancer: A Literature Review
Objective: To identify and compare current modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for pancreatic cancer (PaCa) that may have potential application in PaCa risk
stratification, prevention, and early detection. /
Material: All articles in this literature review were identified through systematic searches of PubMed, Medline, and Embase databases. All articles were published in the English language, between January 2000 to December 2021 and with an abstract. In this review study, we judge the evidence level of different PaCa risk factors
through the criteria of grading evidence for cancer prevention. /
Results: The modifiable risk factors identified included cigarette smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, increased Body Mass Index (BMI) and abdominal obesity,
chronic pancreatitis, diabetes, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, periodontal disease, cholecystectomy and chemicals and asbestos exposure. The non-modifiable risk factors included age, gender, ethnicity, blood type, family history, inherited syndromes, germline mutation, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). However,
there are still some ambiguous risk factors for which the current evidence is inconclusive such as low physical activity, increased consumption of red/processed meat
and dairy products, vitamin D insufficiency, and some medical-related conditions including gut microbiota such as Helicobacter Pylori infection, long-term usage of
Proton-pump inhibitors (PPI), and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) history. /
Conclusions: This literature review summarizes the modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors of PaCa with strong evidence, which could be used to further establish
PaCa predictive model as an application of PaCa risk stratification, raise public awareness and educate the public as a prevention program. Further studies are needed to investigate other potential risk factors
Are non-responders in a quitline evaluation more likely to be smokers?
BACKGROUND: In evaluation of smoking cessation programs including surveys and clinical trials the tradition has been to treat non-responders as smokers. The aim of this paper is to assess smoking behaviour of non-responders in an evaluation of the Swedish national tobacco cessation quitline a nation-wide, free of charge service. METHODS: A telephone interview survey with a sample of people not participating in the original follow-up. The study population comprised callers to the Swedish quitline who had consented to participate in a 12 month follow-up but had failed to respond. A sample of 84 (18% of all non-responders) was included. The main outcome measures were self-reported smoking behaviour at the time of the interview and at the time of the routine follow-up. Also, reasons for not responding to the original follow-up questionnaire were assessed. For statistical comparison between groups we used Fischer's exact test, odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) on proportions and OR. RESULTS: Thirty-nine percent reported to have been smoke-free at the time they received the original questionnaire compared with 31% of responders in the original study population. The two most common reasons stated for not having returned the original questionnaire was claiming that they had returned it (35%) and that they had not received the questionnaire (20%). Non-responders were somewhat younger and were to a higher degree smoke-free when they first called the quitline. CONCLUSION: Treating non-responders as smokers in smoking cessation research may underestimate the true effect of cessation treatment
Telephone support for smoking cessation : The Swedish example
Background : Tobacco is a major public health problem that needs to be
addressed. The Swedish quitline is a telephone-based free-of-charge
tobacco cessation service.
Objective : To study the effectiveness and the cost-effectiveness of the
Swedish quitline.
Methods : The study population comprised clients calling the quitline and
returning a registration questionnaire mailed home to the caller directly
after first call from April 1999 to November 2002. Each individual was
followed up 12 months after first contact (follow-up questionnaire). All
those returning the registration questionnaire were included in the study
base. The questionnaires assessed point prevalence abstinence as well as
several factors potentially related to abstinence. Study I comprised 496
and 629 smokers receiving a reactive and a proactive treatment
respectively. Studies II, III and IV comprised all 1131 smokers who had
signed up for smoking cessation treatment from February 2000 to November
2001. Of those, 741 individuals (66%) reporting to have been abstinent
for at least 24 hours were examined in study II. In study III, a sample
of 84 out of 475 non-responders were included in a drop-out analysis.
Study IV, was based on 354 abstinent smokers. Outcome measures were cost
per quitter and cost per life year saved ( LYS).
Main findings : Factors significantly related to abstinence (I) included
no nicotine use at baseline, the adjusted OR and 95% CI, being 6.4
(2.1-19.4), additional support from health care professionals 3.5
(1.0-12.3), additional social support 3.1 (1.6-6.1), absence of stress or
depressive mood 2.7 (1.6-4.7), nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for
five weeks or more 2.1 (1.1-4.1), and no exposure to second-hand smoke
1.9 (1.1-3.3). High intensity of craving, irritability,
apprehension/anxiety, difficulties concentrating, restlessness, depressed
mood, and insomnia were related to unsuccessful quitting attempts (II).
With the exception of insomnia all these symptoms comprised a factor
labelled psychological which was related to unsuccessful quitting
attempts. Using NRT for five weeks or longer was correlated with lower
intensity of the psychological symptoms. Of the non-responders in study
III, 39% claimed to have been smoke-free at the time they received the
12-month follow-up questionnaire compared with 31% of the responders in
the original study population (III). The cost per quitter in the
investigated cohort (IV) was 1062 USD and cost per life year saved was
estimated to be 311 USD.
Conclusions : The Swedish quitline proved to be a cost-effective
intervention that significantly increased 12 month abstinence. Treatment
efficacy may be further enhanced by focusing on factors identified in the
different studies as being related to 12 month abstinence. Non-responders
to the 12 month follow-up questionnaire were not more likely to be
unsuccessful quitters