Smoking behaviour predicts tobacco control attitudes in a high smoking prevalence hospital: A cross-sectional study in a Portuguese teaching hospital prior to the national smoking ban

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Several studies have investigated attitudes to and compliance with smoking bans, but few have been conducted in healthcare settings and none in such a setting in Portugal. Portugal is of particular interest because the current ban is not in line with World Health Organization recommendations for a "100% smoke-free" policy. In November 2007, a Portuguese teaching-hospital surveyed smoking behaviour and tobacco control (TC) attitudes before the national ban came into force in January 2008.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Questionnaire-based cross-sectional study, including all eligible staff. Sample: 52.9% of the 1, 112 staff; mean age 38.3 ± 9.9 years; 65.9% females. Smoking behaviour and TC attitudes and beliefs were the main outcomes. Bivariable analyses were conducted using chi-squared and MacNemar tests to compare categorical variables and Mann-Whitney tests to compare medians. Multilogistic regression (MLR) was performed to identify factors associated with smoking status and TC attitudes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Smoking prevalence was 40.5% (95% CI: 33.6-47.4) in males, 23.5% (95% CI: 19.2-27.8) in females (p < 0.001); 43.2% in auxiliaries, 26.1% in nurses, 18.9% among physicians, and 34.7% among other non-health professionals (p = 0.024). The findings showed a very high level of agreement with smoking bans, even among smokers, despite the fact that 70.3% of the smokers smoked on the premises and 76% of staff reported being frequently exposed to second-hand smoke (SHS). In addition 42.8% reported that SHS was unpleasant and 28.3% admitted complaining. MLR showed that smoking behaviour was the most important predictor of TC attitudes.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Smoking prevalence was high, especially among the lower socio-economic groups. The findings showed a very high level of support for smoking bans, despite the pro-smoking environment. Most staff reported passive behaviour, despite high SHS exposure. This and the high smoking prevalence may contribute to low compliance with the ban and low participation on smoking cessation activities. Smoking behaviour had greater influence in TC attitudes than health professionals' education. Our study is the first in Portugal to identify potential predictors of non-compliance with the partial smoking ban, further emphasising the need for a 100% smoke-free policy, effective enforcement and public health education to ensure compliance and promote social norm change.</p

Antiproliferative activity of methanol extracts of four species of Croton on different human cell lines

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Several species of Croton have been described with biological activities, mainly due to diterpenes, alkaloids and/or other secondary metabolites. These activities account for the traditional use of Croton species to treat certain diseases in South America, Asia and Western Africa. The crude methanol extracts obtained from leaves and steam bark of Croton dichrous Mull. Arg., C. erythroxyloides Baill., C. myrianthus Mull. Arg. and C. splendidus Mart. ex Colla were tested for antiproliferative activity against ten human cancer cell lines. Chemical analyses of all extracts were carried out by GC/MS and HPLC/MS/MS. The leaf extract obtained from C. erythroxyloides showed potent activity against PC-3 (prostate) and OVCAR-3 (ovary) cell lines. Lupeol is suggested to be involved in such activity. Tiliroside, an acyl-glycosilated flavonoid ubiquitous in all tested extracts, seems to play an important role in the observed moderate activity of most extracts against the leukemia K562 cell lineage.234662667Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)FAPESP [07/02518-6

Antiproliferative activity and constituents of leaf extracts of Croton sphaerogynus Baill. (Euphorbiaceae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Several Croton species have been used in traditional medicine and contain substances active against cancer, such as diterpenoids and alkaloids. Croton sphaerogynus is a shrub from the Atlantic Rain Forest in southeastern Brazil. The main goal of this study was to characterize the main constituents of the leaf extracts of C. sphaerogynus and evaluate their in vitro antiproliferative activity against tumor cell lines. Hexane, dichloromethane and methanol extracts of leaves were analyzed by GC/MS and evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative activity on the cell lines 786-0 (kidney), HT-29 (colon), 1(562 (leukemia), NCI-ADR/RES (drug resistant ovary), NCI-H460 (lung), MCF-7 (mammary), PC-3 (prostate), OVCAR-3 (ovary), U251 (glioma) and UACC-62 (melanoma). Relevant constituents in dichloromethane and hexane extracts were abietane, podocarpane and clerodane type furano diterpenes. Dicloromethane and hexane extracts exhibited activity against NCI-H460 (GI(50) 0.26 mu g/mL and 0.33 mu g/mL, respectively) and K562 (GI(50) 0.60 mu g/mL and <0.25 mu g/mL, respectively). Taking into account all cell lines tested, the dichloromethane extract was shown to have higher activity (mean log GI(50) 0.86) than hexane and methanol extracts (mean log GI(50) 1.26 and 1.49, respectively). The antiproliferative activity observed in the present work is probably accounted for by the abietane and/or podocarpane diterpenes. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.50661665Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP