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Introduction To assess the smoking behaviour of Lung Cancer (LC) and Colorectal (CRC) patients at the time of diagnosis and one year after diagnosis. Material and Methods The study took place in the island of Crete, Greece. Data (LC patients=4,421; CRC patients=3,609) were derived from the Cancer Registry of Crete (1992-2010). Participants with I-III stage primary cancer and confirmed diagnosis (histologically/cytologically) were included. Patients with unknown stage were excluded after testing for potential statistical bias. Kruskal-Wallis (one-way analyses of variance) and logistic regression models estimated the risk of not quitting smoking after diagnosis. All tests were two-tailed (a=0.05). Results Overall, 75.1% of LC and 51.4% of CRC patients were current smokers at the time of diagnosis. One year after diagnosis 49.5%% of the LC and 38.1% of the CRC patients were still smoking. Males, public insurance, high number of pack/years, not receiving chemotherapy/radiotherapy, not undergoing surgery, higher number of co-morbidities, advanced cancer stage (III) and alcohol consumption were significant predictors of not quitting smoking one year after diagnosis (p

Introduction To identify the optimum geographic locations of establishing smoking cessation services for cancer patients in Crete. Material and Methods Data (1992-2013) for selected tobacco induced cancers (lung, oral cavity and pharynx, nasal cavity and paranasal sinus, larynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney, liver, bladder, uterus, cervix, colon/rectum, ovary and leukemia) were obtained from the Cancer Registry of Crete (CRC). Age-Adjusted Incidence Rates (AAIR) and Smoking Attributable Fraction (SAF%) were estimated. Smoking rates were estimated by age group and other selected socio-economic and clinical variables. All rates were mapped and analyzed in the ArcGIS 10.3.1. The Getis ord statistic, K-Means (a=0.05) and multi-criteria model builder were performed. Results The AAIR for tobacco-related cancers was 160 new cases/100,000/year (AAIRmales=222.1/100,000/year; AAIRfemales=98.7/100,000/year). Larynx (SAF=71.4%), esophagus (SAF=42.4%), lung (SAF=41.9%), oral cavity (SAF=38.7%) and bladder (SAF=36.5%) presented the highest SAFs in all the municipalities of Crete. Significant variations were observed in the geographical distribution of all estimated rates (Pvalue

Individuals who perform rescue and recovery duties, as part of their daily work activities, confront diverse stressors that can affect their mental state and overall well-being. The study aimed to assess the prevalence and the factors associated with self-assessed PTSD, perceived well-being and burnout among rescue workers operating at Lesvos during the European refugees crisis. 217 rescuers participated in the study, while the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C), the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Well-being Index (WHO-5) were utilized. The prevalence of self-assessed PTSD and perceived burnout syndrome was 17.1% and 57% respectively, while 72.8% of the rescuers reported low levels of perceived well-being. Self-assessed PTSD was positively correlated with perceived burnout and inversely correlated with perceived well-being. Perceived burnout was also inversely correlated with perceived well-being. A number of significant predictors were identified for self-assessed PTSD, perceived burnout and well-being, including: family status, age, duration of shifts, collection of dead adults or dead children bodies. The impact of the refugee crisis is visible on the rescue workers that offer rescue and first aid services. There is an urgent need for implementing effective interventions focusing on the identified determinants in order to enhance the occupational psychological burden of rescuers.

During the European refugee crisis, numerous Greek and international rescue workers are operating in Lesvos, offering search, rescue, and first aid services. Exposure to stressful life events while engaging in this rescue work can result in developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The study aimed to assess the prevalence of PTSD and explore potential differences between different categories of rescuers. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 217 rescue workers. Participants were grouped according to affiliation: “Greek Professionals Rescuers/GPR”, “International Professionals Rescuers/IPR” and “Volunteer Rescuers/VR”. The PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) was utilized. All tests were two-tailed (a = 0.05). Mann–Whitney, Kruskal–Wallis, and multivariate logistic regression were performed. Overall probable PTSD prevalence found was 17.1%. Rates varied significantly per rescuer’s category; 23.1% in GPR, 11.8% in IPR, and 14.6% in VR (p = 0.02). GPR demonstrated the highest risk compared to IPR and VR (p

INTRODUCTION Estimation of the prevalence of vision impairment in a population can be performed using epidemiological research. The purpose of this study was to measure, using spatial statistics, the prevalence of ophthalmologic disease identified at visits of the Mobile Ophthalmologic Unit (MOU) of the Vardinogiannion Eye Institute of Crete (VEIC) to villages in Crete. The study also aimed to estimate increased 'risk' of ophthalmological disease according to demographic and location factors and, thus, use the present findings as a basis for planning future services. METHODS Estimation of risks for cataract, glaucoma, and refractive errors were assessed by multiple logistic regression models in order to measure the effect of demographic (age, sex) and location (province, distance from nearest ophthalmologist) parameters. Spatial analysis was applied in order to produce a density and probability density map of ophthalmologic disorders using kriging interpolation methods. RESULTS Newly diagnosed cataracts and refractive errors were found more frequently in locations greater than 70 km from the nearest ophthalmologist (respectively, OR = 6.0 [95% CI = 1.637-9.482]; OR = 27.4 [20.038-39.028] p-value = 0.004). Those aged >60 years had higher risk for all eye abnormalities: cataracts (OR = 0.7; 95% CI = 0.238-0.938), glaucoma (OR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.227-2.037), and refractive errors (OR = 0.5; 95% CI = 0.183-0.829). CONCLUSION The present study supports the use of local policies and preventive measures in rural areas of Crete in order to improve rural health standards. Some insights concerning the effectiveness of future visits of MOUs are provided, guided by spatial analysis.