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Introduction According to the World Health Organization, tobacco use is a global pandemic and the leading preventable cause of illness and death. Most smokers start to smoke during adolescence. Therefore, it is crucial to develop and implement evidence-based measures to improve the effectiveness of smoking prevention. The Azores have the highest prevalence of smokers among the Portuguese regions and studies on Azorean adolescents are scarce. This study’s objectives were to determine the prevalence of smoking behavior in Azorean adolescents and to explore associations among smoking behavior and demographic and psychosocial variables. Methods Participants in this study were 209 young Azoreans (mean age=15.4 ± 1.9; 68% females) who answered a questionnaire available online between November 2020 and February 2021. Access to the questionnaire was provided through a link disseminated at school by teachers. Variables such as age, sex, smoking attitude, social influence, selfefficacy, intention to smoke and smoking behavior, were included in the questionnaire. The statistical analyses performed include descriptive statistics, comparisons tests between never smokers and already smokers, correlations, and a logistic regression to determine effects on smoking behavior. Results Most participants (68.9%) reported never having smoked, not even a puff, and 5.7% answered that they smoked regularly. Beliefs about the advantages of smoking, reduced self-efficacy to refuse smoking in social situations, and having a best friend who smokes, are the variables associated with smoking behavior. The model explains 44% of the variance. Conclusions Smoking prevention interventions with Azorean adolescents should address and correct beliefs about the pros of smoking, reinforce self-efficacy to refuse cigarettes in social situations, and provide strategies to deal with pressure to smoke from friends who smoke.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic as a public health crisis has led to a significant increase in mental health difficulties. Smoking is strongly associated with mental health conditions, which is why the pandemic might have influenced the otherwise decline in smoking rates. Persons belonging to socioeconomically disadvantaged groups may be particularly affected, both because the pandemic has exacerbated existing social inequalities and because this group was more likely to smoke before the pandemic. We examined smoking prevalence in a French cohort study, focusing on differences between educational attainment. In addition, we examined the association between interpersonal changes in tobacco consumption and educational level from 2018 to 2021. Methods: Using four assessments of smoking status available from 2009 to 2021, we estimated smoking prevalence over time, stratified by highest educational level in the TEMPO cohort and the difference was tested using chi2 test. We studied the association between interpersonal change in smoking status between 2018 and 2021 and educational attainment among 148 smokers, using multinomial logistic regression. Results: Smoking prevalence was higher among those with low education. The difference between the two groups increased from 2020 to 2021 (4.8–9.4%, p < 0.001). Smokers with high educational level were more likely to decrease their tobacco consumption from 2018 to 2021 compared to low educated smokers (aOR = 2.72 [1.26;5.89]). Conclusion: Current findings showed a widening of the social inequality gap in relation to smoking rates, underscoring the increased vulnerability of persons with low educational level to smoking and the likely inadequate focus on social inequalities in relation to tobacco control policies during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey is an official agency that systematically monitors adult tobacco use and tracks key tobacco contro indicators. This survey collects data on people aged 15 years and over. The purpose of this study was to analyze the socio-cultural, personality, and environmental relatiionship with smoking behavior. Methods. This research uses a cross-sectional method. The population is all students of classes X and XI at Public Senior High School 1 Peulimbang, as many as 125 people, and the entire population is used as a sample. Data analysis consisted of univariate, multivariate, and bivariate analysis using Chi-square bivariate test and multivariate analysis using Poisson regression at =0.05. Results. The result variable bivariate associated with smoking is a social-cultural behavior with P<0.001; RP=7.819; CI 95%=4.358-14.028, personalized with P<0.001; RP=57.759; CI 95%=8.234-405.158, environment with P<0.001; RP=5.750; CI 95%=3.069-10.772. Conclusion. The most dominant variable associated with smoking behavior in Public Senior High School 1 Peulimbang was statistically significant, (personal approach 0.05). The prevalence of smoking behavior with personal is RP=42.630; CI 95%=5.376-338.064; P=0,000. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is a cross-sectional study. The study of spatial association patterns and the influences on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic situation in Thailand was determined using secondary data from the COVID-19 interactive dashboard, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, between January 1st, 2020, and December 31st, 2021. Moran's I, Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA), and Spatial Regression was applied for statistical analysis. In the epidemic situation of COVID-19, the highest of 11,512.65 per one hundred thousand population, and the spatial association between the nighttime light average, the prevalence of smokers in Thailand, the proportion of population per village health volunteer, and the proportion of population per health care center with the epidemic situation of COVID-19 has Moran's I = 0.309, 0.396, 0.081 and 0.424, respectively. From the Spatial Lag Model (SLM), a factor that has a spatial association with the epidemic situation of COVID-19 is the nighttime light average, the prevalence of smokers in Thailand, and the proportion of population per healthcare center, which can predict the epidemic situation of COVID-19 by 47.8 percent (R2 =0.478). The growth factor of a large city is an important factor for population density which is a major cause of spread of the coronavirus easily. Moreover, smoking behavior has encouraged the epidemic to spread rapidly. The situation is serious as the number of hospitals is not enough to support the treatment and screening of patients to cover the entire population of Thailand. Therefore, it is urgent that the government plan to mitigate the situation with maximum efficiency by having COVID-19 centers and increase the number of beds and facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigated the smoking distribution of adolescents, examined the differences in the TTM constructs (self-efficacy, pros, cons, and cognitive processes of changes, and behavioral processes of changes) by the stages of smoking, and tested the relationship between smoking and the TTM constructs. The participants included 932 secondary school students ranging from 7th to 12th grade (males: 505, females: 427) in Nowon-gu, Seoul. Four Korean-version questionnaires were used to identify the stages of smoking behavior and the TTM constructs. Adolescents' smoking behavior differed according to gender. In addition, behavioral and cognitive processes of change, self-efficacy, and pros significantly differed across the stages of smoking behavior, and the TTM constructs had a significant impact on smoking behavior. This study could spawn the development of theory-based and empirically supported smoking cessation strategies and programs directed toward adolescents in the public health and health care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global tobacco epidemic, claiming over 8 million lives annually, constitutes a formidable public health threat. Fatalities arise from both direct tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke. Smoking prevalence, notably in Japan, varies across age groups with distinct patterns indicating higher rates among those aged 40 years and above. Persistent concerns surround the significance of smoking behavior in individuals aged 20 to 30 years, given the potential for early adulthood behavior to contribute to long-term health impacts. The emergence of heated tobacco products adds complexity with a substantial percentage of individuals aged 20 to 30 years using these alternatives. This study analyzed data from 15,333 individuals aged 20 to 39 years, collected through Japan’s “Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions 2017”. Compliant with the Japan Statistics Act, a secondary analysis employed multivariate logistic analysis to examine concerns and stress sources by sex and smoking behavior, adjusting for various variables. As a result, no statistically significant associations were found between smoking in men and concerns or stress. However, in women who smoked, significant associations were observed between smoking and specific stressors, such as work-related concerns, financial stress, and stress from a lack of personal free time. This study emphasizes the necessity of considering gender differences and social backgrounds in designing targeted smoking-prevention programs, aiming to enhance overall health longevity and comprehensively reduce lifelong smoking rates in this demographic.

Introduction The study focused on the influence of tar concentrations, smoking regimen, and smoking behavior, on benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) emission from cigarette mainstream smoke and related health hazards to determine the key factors influencing B[a]P reduction and protection of the smoker’s health. Methods A locally popular brand of cigarettes in Beijing was selected with tar concentrations of 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, and 11 mg/cigarette. Two different machine smoking regimens, the Canada Intense (HCI) regimen and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) regimen, were adopted to collect the cigarette mainstream smoke. The B[a]P emission concentrations were then measured by gas chromatography and mass spectrum. Results The average B[a]P emission was 8.14–17.6 ng/cigarette for the HCI regimen and 0.92–3.46 ng/cigarette for the ISO regimen. As expected, the tar concentrations and B[a]P emissions exhibited a positive relation in both the HCI and ISO regimens, the cancer risk and non-cancer risk increased with an increase in tar concentrations for both the ISO and HCI regimens, and the smoking behavior also affected the B[a]P emissions with a tendency of VB (ventilation blocking) > HVB (half ventilation blocking) > DP (deep puff), under the same smoking regimen. Under the same conditions, the cancer risk and non-cancer risk in men were 1.19 and 1.11 times, respectively, higher than in women. Conclusions The smoking regimen influences the B[a]P emission relatively more than the cigarette tar concentration and smoking behavior. The cancer risk and non-cancer risk are higher in men than in women that possibly due to longer smoking duration and greater smoking intensity.

Background: There is an increase in the use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes worldwide, and the similar trends may be observed in young adults. Since 2014, e-cigarettes have become the most commonly used nicotine products among young adults (Sun et al., JAMA Netw Open 4:e2118788, 2021). With the increase in e-cigarette use and the decrease in use of cigarettes and other tobacco products, however, there is limited information about Chinese smokers, e-cigarettes users and trends in cigarettes and e-cigarettes use among university students. Therefore, our objective was to investigate the using status of cigarettes, e-cigarettes and smoking behavior among the students from 7 universities in Guangzhou, China. Methods: Students at 7 different universities in Guangzhou were investigated online in 2021 through a cross-sectional survey. A total of 10,008 students were recruited and after screening, 9361 participants were adopted in our statistics. Descriptive analysis, Chi-square analysis, and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to explore the smoking status and influencing factors. Results: The average age of the 9361 university students was 22.4 years (SD = 3.6). 58.3% of participants were male. 29.8% of the participants smoked or used e-cigarettes. Among the smokers and users of e-cigarettes, 16.7% were e-cigarettes only users, 35.0% were cigarettes only users, and 48.3% were dual users. Males were more likely to smoke or use e-cigarettes. Medical students, students from prestigious Chinese universities, and students with higher levels of education were less likely. Students with unhealthy lifestyles (e.g., drinking alcohol frequently, playing video games excessively, staying up late frequently) were more likely to smoke or use e-cigarettes. Emotion can have significant impacts on both cigarettes and e-cigarettes dual users when choosing cigarettes or e-cigarettes to use. More than half of dual users said they would choose cigarettes when they were depressed and e-cigarettes when they were happy. Conclusion: We identified factors influencing the use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes among university students in Guangzhou, China. Gender, education level background, specialization, lifestyle habits and emotion all influenced the use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes among university students in Guangzhou, China. Male, low education level, from non-prestigious Chinese universities or vocational schools, non-medical specialization, and presence of unhealthy lifestyles were influencing factors for the use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes among university students in Guangzhou and students with these factors were more likely to smoke or use e-cigarettes. Besides, emotions can influence dual users' choice of products. This study provides more information to better understand young people's preferences for cigarettes and e-cigarettes by elucidating the characteristics of cigarettes and e-cigarettes use, as well as related influencing factors, among university students in Guangzhou. Further research involving more variables connected to the use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes will be required in our future study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding students' attitudes toward smoking and tobacco products is essential for effective smoking prevention interventions. This questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey aims to determine the prevalence of use and knowledge about cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and electronic cigarettes and their harmful effects among university students. The survey was conducted using a self-administered online questionnaire among 1184 students. Questions were related to the respondents' demographic characteristics, tobacco use patterns, and opinions about exposure to health warnings and tobacco product advertising messages. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and generalized linear regression analysis. The results showed that 30.2% of the students use tobacco products (74.5% smoked conventional cigarettes; 7.9% used electronic cigarettes; and 17.6% used heated tobacco products). The median (interquartile range) score of the students' knowledge (maximum = 27) was 16 (12–22). The results showed that students from technical, social, humanities, natural, and biotechnology scientific programs had lower levels of knowledge about tobacco products and their harmful effects than biomedical students (p ≤ 0.001). In addition, past and current use of tobacco products was significantly associated with higher overall knowledge of tobacco products and their harmful effects (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.90, % confidence interval (CI) 1.09–3.31, p = 0.023; OR 1.41, CI 1.08–1.84, p = 0.011). The research findings confirm the lack of knowledge and misconceptions about the harmful effects associated with tobacco product use. They also emphasize the need for better prevention and awareness of the harmful effects of smoking on human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lung cancer screening may provide a "teachable moment" for the smoking cessation and relapse prevention. However, the impact of lung cancer screening on smoking initiation in non‐smokers has not been reported. Methods: A baseline smoking behavior survey was conducted in 2000 participants who were screened by low‐dose computed tomography (LDCT) from 2014 to 2018. All participants were re‐surveyed on their smoking behavior in 2019. Of these, 312 participants were excluded, leaving 1688 participants in the final analysis. The smoking initiation rate in baseline non‐smokers, the relapse rate in baseline former smokers, and the abstinence rate in baseline current smokers were calculated, respectively. The associations between screening results, demographic characteristics, and smoking behavior change were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Results: From 2014 to 2019, smoking prevalence significantly decreased from 52.6% to 49.1%. The prevalence of smoking initiation, relapse, and abstinence in baseline non‐smokers, former, and current smokers was 16.8%, 22.9%, and 23.7%, respectively. The risk of smoking initiation in baseline non‐smokers was significantly higher in those with negative screening result (adjusted OR = 2.97, 95% CI: 1.27–6.94). Compared to smokers who only received baseline screening, the chance of smoking abstinence in baseline current smokers was reduced by over 80% in those who attended 5 rounds of screening (adjusted OR = 0.15, 95% CI:0.08–0.27). No significant associations were found between smoking relapse and prior screening frequency, with at least one positive screening result. Age, gender, occupational exposure, income, and smoking pack years were also associated with smoking behavior changes. Conclusions: The overall decreased smoking prevalence indicated an overwhelming effect of "teachable moment" on "license to smoke." A tailored smoking cessation strategy should be integrated into lung cancer screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to assess attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions about early smoking behavior among junior and senior high school students in Sampang, Madura, Indonesia. Teenagers' smoking behavior is a phenomenon that needs careful examination and is easily recognized today. In Indonesia, the frequency of teenage smokers aged 10–18 years is growing every year. This age group is essential since most regular smokers start to smoke at this age. Although the Indonesian government has made preventive efforts, the prevalence of tobacco use remains high and continues to rise among younger age citizens. This research employed descriptive analysis with a cross-sectional approach. A total of 174 teenagers were chosen to participate in this study using a purposive sampling approach among junior high and high school students in Sampang District who smoke. Data were collected using questionnaires and evaluated with statistical regression tests with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The findings revealed that attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions were linked to early smoking behavior in teenagers in the Sampang District, Madura. The results were attitude (OR=5.27, 95% CI: 4.89–5.61), subjective norm (OR=1.78, 95% CI: 1.51–2.05), PBC (OR=2.05, 95% CI: 1.66–2.40), and intention (OR=4.16, 95% CI: 3.86–4.47). Early smoking behavior in Sampang is primarily driven by the impression of poor parental disruptive behavior and a strong urge to smoke among teenagers, along with significant peer support. These findings can be utilized to address some of the key issues identified in order to prevent smoking in teenagers by establishing an atmosphere that avoids the stimulation in smoking behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Several scientific evidence showed that smoking can increase the severity and mortality rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This indicates that the pandemic is the best time to reduce its frequency or stop the habit, but misinformation that smoking prevents infection has an effect on smokers' behavior. Therefore, this study aims to assess the beliefs about the effects of smoking on COVID-19 as well as to determine their relationship with smoking habits among university student smokers in Jakarta, Indonesia. Methods: This study was carried out in three Universities in Jakarta with a total of 198 respondents, who were selected conveniently. Furthermore, independent variables were derived from the Health Belief Model theory, while the dependent variables include quit intention and smoking frequency. Chi-square and ordinal regression analyses were carried out to determine the association between the variables. Results: The belief that smoking increases the severity of COVID-19 as well as having the determination to stop the habit, had an effect on the respondents' quit intention. Moreover, perceived barriers, such as feeling anxious (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.34, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.19–0.60) and being exposed to information that the habit prevents COVID-19 severity (AOR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.01–0.71) were protective factors against the decrease in the number of cigarettes smoked daily. Conclusion: Improving digital health literacy, campaigns to clarify the risk of cigarettes, and self-efficacy related to cessation are important efforts to prevent smoking behavior during a pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tobacco Smoking is considerably high among adolescents in Indonesia, indicating the potential proportion of tobacco smoking effects experienced by young Indonesians in the future and the need of program interventions to halt the tendency. This study aims to investigate effects of a community-based health promotion intervention on smoking prevention among Indonesians' adolescents. Methods: The quasi-experimental study with a pre-and-posttest control group design involved 104 adolescents aged between 12 to 14 years. The adolescents were convieniently assigned into one intervention (55 adolescents) or a control group group (49 adolescents), with participants in the intervention group received four health promotion sessions using smoking prevention videos for one month. Effects of the intervention were measured by a questionnaire at one week before and after the intervention completed and then analyzed by an approprite data analysis technique. Results: After the intervention completion, there was a significant positive effect of the community-based health promotion intervenstion program in improving adolescents tobacco smoking knowledge, attitude, intention and behavior (p = <0.001). Conclusion: Community-based health promotion program provides positive impact on adolescents smoking prevention and therefore should be considered as one of stretegies for tobacco smoking prevention program. Keyword: Health Promotion, Community, Smoking Prevention, Aceh, Knowledge, Attitudes, Intentions, Smoking Behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION According to the World Health Organization, tobacco use is a global pandemic and the leading preventable cause of illness and death. Most smokers start to smoke during adolescence. Therefore, it is crucial to develop and implement evidence-based measures to improve the effectiveness of smoking prevention. The Azores have the highest prevalence of smokers among the Portuguese regions and studies on Azorean adolescents are scarce. This study's objectives were to determine the prevalence of smoking behavior in Azorean adolescents and to explore associations among smoking behavior and demographic and psychosocial variables. METHODS Participants in this study were 209 young Azoreans (mean age=15.4 ± 1.9; 68% females) who answered a questionnaire available online between November 2020 and February 2021. Access to the questionnaire was provided through a link disseminated at school by teachers. Variables such as age, sex, smoking attitude, social influence, selfefficacy, intention to smoke and smoking behavior, were included in the questionnaire. The statistical analyses performed include descriptive statistics, comparisons tests between never smokers and already smokers, correlations, and a logistic regression to determine effects on smoking behavior. RESULTS Most participants (68.9%) reported never having smoked, not even a puff, and 5.7% answered that they smoked regularly. Beliefs about the advantages of smoking, reduced self-efficacy to refuse smoking in social situations, and having a best friend who smokes, are the variables associated with smoking behavior. The model explains 44% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS Smoking prevention interventions with Azorean adolescents should address and correct beliefs about the pros of smoking, reinforce self-efficacy to refuse cigarettes in social situations, and provide strategies to deal with pressure to smoke from friends who smoke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objectives Smokers or never smokers exposed to environmental tobacco use are usually associated with various diseases and cancers. In order to better help college students prevent the tobacco use and thus lower the incidence of avoidable diseases, this study explored the predictive power of different variables including demographic and psychological variables in relation to smoking behaviors. Methods Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) were used in this study. Results There were 1449 college students participating in the study with 1340 pieces of valid data left, the effective ratio was 92.48%. The valid data included 37.1% male and 62.9% female aged 18.83 on average with 1.55 standard deviation. The multivariate logistic regression indicated that college students who were male (versus female, OR = 9.55), majoring in medicine and sports (versus nursing, ORmedicine = 2.19, ORsports = 2.81), born in the non-singleton family (versus singleton family, OR = 0.63) with higher family income (versus lower family income, OR = 0.45), surrounded with smoking friends (versus without smoking friends, OR = 0.18), were more vulnerable to smoke. In addition, combined with the theory of planned behavior, the dimensions of learning burnout had full mediation effects between psychological distress and smoking behavior. Conclusions Psychological distress can only indirectly affect smoking behavior via learning efficacy, cynicism and emotional exhaustion. Adjustments from different dimensions of learning burnout such as avoiding cynicism about learning, enhancing learning efficacy and emotion exhaustion will help college students better prevent the tobacco use.

BackgroundSmoking is well known to be associated with a higher prevalence and incidence of liver diseases such as advanced fibrosis. However, the impact of smoking on developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease remains controversial, and clinical data on this is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between smoking history and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).MethodsData from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2019-2020 were used for the analysis. NAFLD was diagnosed according to an NAFLD liver fat score of >-0.640. Smoking status was classified as into nonsmokers, ex-smokers, and current smokers. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between smoking history and NAFLD in the South Korean population.ResultsIn total, 9,603 participants were enrolled in this study. The odds ratio (OR) for having NAFLD in ex-smokers and current smokers in males was 1.12 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90–1.41) and 1.38 (95% CI: 1.08–1.76) compared to that in nonsmokers, respectively. The OR increased in magnitude with smoking status. Ex-smokers who ceased smoking for

Abstract Objective: This study aims to develop a generalizable architecture for enhancing an enterprise data warehouse for research (EDW4R) with results from a natural language processing (NLP) model, which allows discrete data derived from clinical notes to be made broadly available for research use without need for NLP expertise. The study also quantifies the additional value that information extracted from clinical narratives brings to EDW4R. Materials and methods: Clinical notes written during one month at an academic health center were used to evaluate the performance of an existing NLP model and to quantify its value added to the structured data. Manual review was utilized for performance analysis. The architecture for enhancing the EDW4R is described in detail to enable reproducibility. Results: Two weeks were needed to enhance EDW4R with data from 250 million clinical notes. NLP generated 16 and 39% increase in data availability for two variables. Discussion: Our architecture is highly generalizable to a new NLP model. The positive predictive value obtained by an independent team showed only slightly lower NLP performance than the values reported by the NLP developers. The NLP showed significant value added to data already available in structured format. Conclusion: Given the value added by data extracted using NLP, it is important to enhance EDW4R with these data to enable research teams without NLP expertise to benefit from value added by NLP models.

Background: There is limited evidence on how the United States Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) proposed ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars will impact individuals with mood disorders who smoke menthol cigarettes. This study aimed to evaluate how individuals with mood disorders who smoke menthol cigarettes might respond to a hypothetical ban on menthol cigarettes, explore the reasons for their current use, and examine how these reasons are associated with participants' characteristics., Methods: Study data were collected at baseline from adults (18+ years) with mood disorders who participated in a randomized controlled trial evaluating the impact of gradual nicotine reduction. Participants were individuals who smoked and had no plan to quit in the next six months. They reported demographics and tobacco consumption patterns, interest in quitting, and responded to a hypothetical question on a potential ban on menthol cigarettes. The question asked participants which actions they would most likely take if menthol-flavored cigarettes were banned. Means and frequencies were used to describe the sample. Logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with each reason for menthol use (less harmful, better flavor, less harsh on the throat, and less harsh on the chest)., Results: Participants ( n = 77) were an average age of 42.5 (SD 12.5) years, 61% ( n = 47) were female, 68.8% ( n = 53) identified as White, and 5.2% ( n = 4) identified as Hispanic. On average, participants reported currently smoking 18.1 (SD 9.9) cigarettes per day and had smoked for 23.9 (SD 13.6) years. About 58.4% of participants ( n = 45) expressed their intention to switch to non-menthol cigarettes, 19.5% ( n = 15) intended to transition to a different type of tobacco product, and 22.1% ( n = 17) intended to quit smoking entirely without substitution. The most endorsed reason for using menthol cigarettes was better flavor (89.6%, n = 69/77), followed by less harshness on the throat (41.3%, n = 31/75) and chest (40%, n = 30/75), and the belief that they were less harmful than non-menthol cigarettes (24%, n = 18/75). Older age was associated with the belief that menthol cigarettes were less harmful (OR = 1.06; p = 0.02)., Conclusion: Among individuals with mood disorders and who smoke menthol cigarettes and have no plans to quit smoking, 22.1% may try to quit smoking if a menthol ban is implemented, while the majority (58.4%) stated that they would switch to non-menthol cigarettes. As the reasons for using menthol cigarettes included perceived lower harm, there is a need for targeted public awareness campaigns to correct misconceptions about the harms of menthol cigarettes.

Background: Numerous studies have shown that e-cigarettes are addictive. For example, we previously showed that users of e-cigarette online forums discuss experiences of addiction in a netnographic analysis. However, it is unclear what makes e-cigarettes addictive apart from nicotine. In a focus group analysis, we recently identified 3 unique features of e-cigarettes that users linked to experiences of addiction: the pleasant taste, unobtrusiveness, and unlimited usability of e-cigarettes., Objective: This study aimed to validate the previously identified features of e-cigarette addictive potential by triangulating data from the netnographic analysis and focus group discussions., Methods: Drawing on a netnographic analysis of 3 popular, German-language e-cigarette forums, we studied whether experiences of addiction were linked to specific e-cigarette features. We included 451 threads in the analysis that had been coded for addictive experiences in a previous study by our team. First, we conducted a deductive analysis with preregistered codes to determine whether the features of pleasant taste, unobtrusiveness, and unlimited usability were mentioned in relation to the addictive potential of e-cigarettes in the online forums. Second, an inductive approach was chosen to identify further possible addictive features of e-cigarettes., Results: Our deductive analysis confirmed that the features highlighted in our previous focus group study (pleasant taste, unobtrusiveness, and unlimited usability) were also frequently discussed in online forums in connection to addictive symptoms. In addition, our inductive analysis identified nicotine dosage as a significant feature linked to addiction. Users reported varying their nicotine doses for different reasons, leading to the identification of four distinct user types based on dosing patterns: (1) high doses for intermittent, (2) high doses for constant use, (3) low doses for constant use, and (4) switching between high and low doses depending on the situation., Conclusions: Our comprehensive analysis of online forum threads revealed that users' experiences of addiction are linked to 4 specific features unique to e-cigarettes: pleasant taste, unobtrusiveness, unlimited usability, and nicotine dosage. Recognizing these addictive features of e-cigarettes is crucial for designing cessation programs and informing public health policies to reduce the addictiveness of e-cigarettes., (©Marike Andreas, Nadja Grundinger, Nadine Wolber, Daria Szafran, Tatiana Görig, Ute Mons, Valerie Lohner, Sabine Vollstädt-Klein, Sven Schneider. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 01.10.2024.)

Smoking is a major public health problem in most countries and usually occurs in marginalized groups. Analyzing the smoking behavior of migrant workers, a marginalized group in China, is of practical significance. Using panel data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) database from 2013 to 2018, this study examined influence factors of smoking behavior (whether to smoke and smoking frequency) among migrant workers in China through the Heckman two-stage model. The results showed that the smoking rates of migrant workers were positively associated with social activity and a sense of loneliness, while smoking frequency was negatively associated with work stress and life satisfaction. Meanwhile, smoking behavior was associated with the demographic variables such as gender, age, and education level. Gender differences in smoking behavior were particularly notable among Chinese migrant workers. Furthermore, there was regional heterogeneity in smoking behavior among migrant workers. Smoking behavior in the eastern region was mainly influenced by psychological factors of wellbeing, such as social activity and life satisfaction, while it was affected by material conditions such as income in the central-western region. Effective strategies to control tobacco use among migrant workers are proposed in order to promote social integration between urban and rural residents, increase vocational education and training, and strengthen anti-smoking propaganda among migrant workers.

Health workers are role models in preventing smoking behavior, yet many are smokers themselves. This study reviews and analyzes the smoking behavior of health workers in Asian countries, based on databases such as PubMed, EBSCO, and Google Scholar in 2013–2018. It is shown that the prevalence of smoking amongst health workers was 4.6–44%, with the nursing profession showing a higher level than other health professions and with a higher ratio of male to female smokers. Health workers are aware of the dangers of smoking, including the effects of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, oral cancer, atherosclerosis, hypertension, fetal disorders, and infertility. However, the factors that lead to smoking include stress, the influence of friends or family who smoke, and addiction. Health workers are responsible for providing smoking prevention education. However, there are still obstacles to its implementation due to their smoking habits and lack of expertise in educating others. Smoking prohibition policies in the workplace, the training of health workers, and smoking prevention service facilities need to be considered by Asian countries to prevent smoking. Abstrak Analisis Perilaku Merokok pada Petugas Kesehatan di Asia: Literatur Review. Petugas kesehatan merupakan role model dalam pencegahan perilaku merokok, akan tetapi masih banyak petugas kesehatan yang merokok. Studi ini meninjau dan menganalisis perilaku merokok petugas kesehatan di negara-negara Asia, bersumber pada basis data seperti PubMed, EBSCO, dan Google Scholar, tahun 2013–2018. Hasil studi menunjukkan perilaku merokok petugas kesehatan memiliki prevalensi sebesar 4,6–44% dengan profesi keperawatan menunjukkan tingkat yang lebih tinggi daripada profesi kesehatan lainnya, dan dengan rasio perokok laki-laki lebih tinggi dari perokok perempuan. Petugas kesehatan menyadari bahaya merokok dan dampak penyakitnya seperti penyakit kardiovaskuler, penyakit pernapasan, kanker mulut, aterosklerosis, hipertensi, gangguan janin, dan kemandulan. Faktor yang memengaruhi merokok adalah stres, pengaruh teman atau keluarga yang merokok, dan kecanduan. Petugas kesehatan bertanggung jawab untuk memberikan pendidikan pencegahan merokok. Namun, masih terdapat kendala dalam pelaksanaannya karena kebiasaan pribadi merokok mereka dan kurangnya keahlian dalam mendidik orang lain. Kebijakan larangan merokok di tempat kerja, pelatihan tenaga kesehatan, dan fasilitas layanan pencegahan merokok perlu diperhatikan oleh negara-negara Asia untuk pencegahan perilaku merokok. Kata kunci: perilaku merokok, petugas kesehatan, role model

Background: Data shows that smoking behavior in adolescents in Indonesia is a health problem that still deserves to be considered. Data shows that the prevalence of smoking in the population aged 10-18 in 2013-2018 in Indonesia has increased, namely Riskesdas 2013 (7.2%), Riskesdas 2016 (8.8%), and Riskesdas 2018 (9.1%). Pamekasan is one of the regencies in Indonesia that has a teen smoking rate of 25.64% (Riskesdas, 2018) with outdoor cigarette advertisements that are still scattered, especially in urban areas. Purpose: Analyzing the influence of cigarette advertising in Pamekasan Regency, by emphasizing comparisons in urban areas and village areas in Pamekasan Regency.. Method: This study is an observational study. In terms of time, the study was cross-sectional because the data collection, which includes free variables and bound variables, was conducted over a period of time. Sampling through online questionnaires by random methods. Results: There is a significant influence between the role of cigarette advertising on adolescent behavior in urban areas with a value of p = 0.029 (OR 2.718 95% CI 1,110-6,652). There was no influence on adolescents in rural areas. Conclusion: A communication message that can affect adolescent smoking behavior in urban areas is cigarette advertising, regardless of how many times the frequency of exposure.

Abstract Background Over one-quarter of all smokers in the United States identify as non-daily smokers and this number is projected to rise. Unlike daily smokers who typically maintain consistent levels of nicotine exposure with regular smoking, non-daily smokers have variable patterns of smoking that likely result in high intraindividual variability in nicotine intake. The current study aimed to characterize the weekly intraindividual variability in cotinine and identify smoking-related predictors in nondaily smokers. Methods An ecological momentary assessment of 60 non-daily smokers ages 24–57 years was conducted over a consecutive 7-day at-home protocol to log each smoking session, assessments of mood and social activity during smoking, and collection of daily saliva samples in a convenience sample from Pennsylvania, USA. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted to determine the effects of smoking characteristics on total cotinine exposure measured by pharmacokinetic area under the curve and the range, maximum, and minimum cotinine values during the week controlling for demographic variables. Results The mean daily cotinine level was 119.2 ng/ml (SD = 168.9) with individual values that ranged from nondetectable to 949.6 ng/ml. Menthol predicted increased total cotinine levels (P

Introduction A growing body of research has evaluated the effect of university tobacco-free policies on faculty and staff, however, none of these studies has been carried out in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. This study evaluates changes in faculty and staff attitudes, perceptions and smoking behavior, at 1 year post adoption of a tobacco-free policy in a medium-sized university in Lebanon and the region. Methods Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2017 and 2018: baseline and at 1 year post policy implementation. A random sample of 625 and 624 participants took part in the 2017 and 2018 studies, respectively. Results Faculty and staff had a positive attitude towards the policy at the two time points. The belief that there should be exceptions to the policy significantly decreased from 79% to 59% (p=0.002) among all smokers, particularly those with lower educational attainment (81% to 57%, p=0.007). Perception of compliance among peer smokers increased from 73% to 87% (p=0.009). The proportion of smokers did not significantly change at 1 year post policy implementation, however, 44% of smokers with lower educational attainment, compared to only 7% of those with higher educational attainment (p

This study examined college students' perceptions of the association between smoking and novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), changes in smoking behavior, and interest in quitting categorized by smoking device, to identify public health challenges. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 8,547 students in a Japanese university in March and April 2021. In response to "Awareness of the increased risk of COVID-19 infection due to smoking and the tendency to develop severe disease", current smokers (70.2%) were more aware of the risk than non-smokers (49.8%) (p < 0.001), with no significant difference according to smoking device (p = 0.213). "Interest in quitting smoking" (p = 0.323), and "Changes in smoking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic" (p = 0.146) did not differ by smoking device. However, approximately 50% of the respondents answered that they were not interested in quitting smoking, while two-thirds reported that the number of cigarettes they smoked did not change during the pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, college students were found to be less interested in quitting and not likely to change their smoking behavior, despite the knowledge of the increased risk of COVID-19 transmission and severity of disease from smoking, regardless of smoking device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objectives: Smokers or never smokers exposed to environmental tobacco use are usually associated with various diseases and cancers. In order to better help college students prevent the tobacco use and thus lower the incidence of avoidable diseases, this study explored the predictive power of different variables including demographic and psychological variables in relation to smoking behaviors. Methods: Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) were used in this study. Results: There were 1449 college students participating in the study with 1340 pieces of valid data left, the effective ratio was 92.48%. The valid data included 37.1% male and 62.9% female aged 18.83 on average with 1.55 standard deviation. The multivariate logistic regression indicated that college students who were male (versus female, OR = 9.55), majoring in medicine and sports (versus nursing, ORmedicine = 2.19, ORsports = 2.81), born in the non-singleton family (versus singleton family, OR = 0.63) with higher family income (versus lower family income, OR = 0.45), surrounded with smoking friends (versus without smoking friends, OR = 0.18), were more vulnerable to smoke. In addition, combined with the theory of planned behavior, the dimensions of learning burnout had full mediation effects between psychological distress and smoking behavior. Conclusions: Psychological distress can only indirectly affect smoking behavior via learning efficacy, cynicism and emotional exhaustion. Adjustments from different dimensions of learning burnout such as avoiding cynicism about learning, enhancing learning efficacy and emotion exhaustion will help college students better prevent the tobacco use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years, much research has examined the effects of various interventions and treatments for smoking cessation. The results suggest that interventions targeting changes of nicotine content can help smokers reduce tobacco use or quit smoking. A number of clinical studies show that smokers who received an immediate reduction in nicotine content to very low levels have significantly greater reductions in the number of cigarettes smoked and toxic substance exposure compared to those with gradual reductions. However, from the perspective of smoking craving, whether the immediate and gradual reduction in nicotine content reduce smoking by reducing cravings needs further investigation. Methods: 74 eligible Participants were randomly allocated to one of the two experimental conditions: (1) immediate reduction to 0.1 mg of nicotine per cigarette (n = 40); (2) gradual reduction from 1.0 (0.8 g ~ 1.2 mg) to 0.1 mg of nicotine per cigarette (n = 34). All participants completed 1-week baseline period during which they smoked their usual cigarette, followed by 16-week of interventions. The primary outcomes included cigarette cravings and number of cigarettes smoked per day (CPD); secondary outcomes included the number of cigarette-free day and emotional states. Results: Among the 52 participants [51 (98.1%) men; mean (SD) age, 33.44 (6.71) years; mean (SD) CPD, 16.83 (9.94)] who completed the trial, significantly lower cravings for cigarettes were observed in the immediate (n = 25) vs. gradual nicotine reduction group (n = 27) in the morning (t = −2.072, p = 0.039) and after dinner (t = –2.056, p = 0.041). Compared with the baseline daily smoking, the number of cigarettes smoked per day was significantly reduced at the beginning of week 12 in the immediate nicotine reduction group (p = 0.001) and at week 16 in the gradual nicotine reduction group (p < 0.001). The number of participants with any cigarette-free day was not significantly different between the groups (p = 0.198). The number of cigarette-free days was significantly more in the immediate vs. gradual nicotine reduction group (p = 0.027). Conclusions: The significantly lower cravings were observed in the immediate vs. gradual nicotine reduction group, and led to faster reduction in the number of CPD, and a significant increase in the number of cigarette-free days. These findings add to the evidence base for reduced nicotine content in cigarettes. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: ChiCTR2100048216. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Smoking has become a worldwide problem and the more problematic is when the youth of any country is highly involved in consuming tobacco that is dangerous for the human being. The Indian youth is involved in smoking-like activities that are dangerous for them. Objectives: To analyze the role of new treatment ways including nicotine gum, nicotine patch, and nicotine replacement therapy backed by pharmaceutical interventions to eliminate smoking from Indian society. Method: The hypotheses of this study are formed on the basis of previous studies and the identification of gap in practices. This study is based on the cross-sectional data that was collected with the help of a questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale from the Indian pharma industry people. The sample size for this study was 340 with a response rate of 50%. Results: In this study, 179 valid questionnaires were collected back from the respondents, and according to the results, nicotine gum, nicotine patch, and nicotine replacement therapies have a significant (p<0.05) effect on smoker attitudes. Conclusion: This study concludes that pharmaceutical interventions are critical to stopping the smoking habit in Indian society, and this contribution is providing a solution to stop smoking by affecting the smoker's attitude and smoking behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundIn recent years, much research has examined the effects of various interventions and treatments for smoking cessation. The results suggest that interventions targeting changes of nicotine content can help smokers reduce tobacco use or quit smoking. A number of clinical studies show that smokers who received an immediate reduction in nicotine content to very low levels have significantly greater reductions in the number of cigarettes smoked and toxic substance exposure compared to those with gradual reductions. However, from the perspective of smoking craving, whether the immediate and gradual reduction in nicotine content reduce smoking by reducing cravings needs further investigation.Methods74 eligible Participants were randomly allocated to one of the two experimental conditions: (1) immediate reduction to 0.1 mg of nicotine per cigarette (n = 40); (2) gradual reduction from 1.0 (0.8 g ~ 1.2 mg) to 0.1 mg of nicotine per cigarette (n = 34). All participants completed 1-week baseline period during which they smoked their usual cigarette, followed by 16-week of interventions. The primary outcomes included cigarette cravings and number of cigarettes smoked per day (CPD); secondary outcomes included the number of cigarette-free day and emotional states.ResultsAmong the 52 participants [51 (98.1%) men; mean (SD) age, 33.44 (6.71) years; mean (SD) CPD, 16.83 (9.94)] who completed the trial, significantly lower cravings for cigarettes were observed in the immediate (n = 25) vs. gradual nicotine reduction group (n = 27) in the morning (t = −2.072, p = 0.039) and after dinner (t = –2.056, p = 0.041). Compared with the baseline daily smoking, the number of cigarettes smoked per day was significantly reduced at the beginning of week 12 in the immediate nicotine reduction group (p = 0.001) and at week 16 in the gradual nicotine reduction group (p < 0.001). The number of participants with any cigarette-free day was not significantly different between the groups (p = 0.198). The number of cigarette-free days was significantly more in the immediate vs. gradual nicotine reduction group (p = 0.027).ConclusionsThe significantly lower cravings were observed in the immediate vs. gradual nicotine reduction group, and led to faster reduction in the number of CPD, and a significant increase in the number of cigarette-free days. These findings add to the evidence base for reduced nicotine content in cigarettes.Clinical Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: ChiCTR2100048216.

ObjectivesLittle is known about the degree of nicotine replacement across first-generation e-cigarette brands, how e-cigarettes are used, and if there is variation across brands in relevant smoking phenotypes. The objective of this project was to collect data that are critical to better understanding, use, and exposure when using e-cigarettes, which may then inform clinical trials and tobacco regulatory policy.MethodsTwenty-eight cigarette smokers were randomized to use one of 5 popular brands of e-cigarettes for a 10-day study. Day 1 (own cigarette brand) data established baseline levels for cotinine, carbon monoxide (CO), topography, cigarette liking, withdrawal, and craving. Participants returned on Days 5 and 10 to reassess these measures while exclusively using e-cigarettes.ResultsCompared to cigarette smoking, e-cigarettes provided significantly lower nicotine levels (25%-50%), reduced CO exposure, and lower ratings of liking (p < .05). Topography significantly differed between cigarette and e-cigarette sessions (p < .05). All brands significantly reduced withdrawal and craving (p < .05). There were no significant brand differences in outcome measures associated with exposure or use.ConclusionsE-cigarettes are not liked as much as cigarettes, provide significantly lower nicotine replacement, reduce CO exposure, and mitigate withdrawal and craving. The patterns of use significantly differ compared to cigarette smoking.

It is stated that cigarette users potentially have a higher risk of adverse complications related to COVID-19. This study aimed to research the smoking behavior of Football Trainers (n=632) during the COVİD-19 pandemic. Participants completed an online survey, in which they reported on their smoking behavior, cigarette smokers' quit intentions, and frequency of cigarette use during the COVİD-19 pandemic. More than half of smoker participants (68.2%) reported intentions to quit smoking due to COVID-19. (40.2%) of participants reported making a quit attempt. In contrast with these good results, more than half of smoker participants reported that they did not reduce their cigarette use since COVID-19 started (69.7%) and some of the respondents (17.4%) are increased their cigarette use since COVID-19 started. In the former smokers' group (17,1%) of the respondents declared thoughts about starting to smoke again. Results showed that as the age increased, the desire and attempts of the participants to quit smoking increased. Married participants stated that they wanted and tried to quit smoking more than Unmarried participants (p<0.05). Our findings suggest that, for some Football Trainers, COVID-19 may lead to reduce smoking and serve as a new opportunity to quit smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate smoking behaviors and nicotine exposure levels of cigarette smokers after switching to using heated tobacco products, 50 volunteers who regularly smoked cigarettes were recruited and randomly divided into two groups, one switched to a heated tobacco product known as IQOS and the other group to a domestic heated tobacco product M. Their general smoking characteristics were collected via questionnaires and their smoking parameters were recorded by a CReSS pocket analyzer. The contents of nicotine exposure biomarker in the volunteers'urine samples before and after switching were determined by HPLC-MS/MS. The results showed that: 1) The smoking behaviors of the smokers were basically unchanged after switching to the heated tobacco products, the puffing volume and duration did not change significantly. However, the puffing interval of the two groups significantly shortened from (14.3±8.0) s and (15.3±9.0) s to (9.8±8.3) s and (9.7± 5.4) s, respectively. 2) The contents of total nicotine metabolites and nicotine exposure biomarkers (i.e. cotinine) in the volunteers'urine samples did not change significantly after switching to the heated tobacco products. 3) There was no significant difference of the smoking behaviors between the volunteers switched to IQOS and those to M, and the levels of total nicotine metabolites and cotinine in the urine samples of the two groups were also quite similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic led to changes in population daily patterns. In order to adapt oral health promotion measures for future similar conditions, the main objective of the study was to assess changes in dental hygiene and eating and smoking habits during the government lockdown in Romania. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted immediately after the end of the lockdown and consisted of 800 adult subjects. Data collection was done via an online survey. Participants were divided into two groups: non-medical/dental practitioners (N-M/D group) and medical/dental practitioners (M/D group). Results: An increased use of dental floss from 27% (pre-lockdown) to 30.5% (during lockdown) was identified in the M/D group, while the manual toothbrush usage increased to 64.8% (during lockdown) from 61.7% (pre-lockdown) in the N-MD/group. No significant differences regarding toothbrushing frequency were observed in either group. A change in the number of daily snacks was identified in both groups (3–4 snacks per day: from 11% to 20.2% in the N-M/D group, from 13.1% to 22.2% in the M/D group). The consumption of sweets as a preferred snack was also noticed. A decrease of tobacco consumers was assessed in the lockdown period (from 66.6% to 60.4% in the M/D group, from 68.5% to 61.9% in the N-/M/D group). Conclusions: Oral habits were changed during the pandemic lockdown through the increase in the frequency of the consumption of snacks and sweets and the decrease in frequency of smokers. Only minor changes were observed in oral hygiene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smoking is an abysmal habit that became a public health problem that leads to premature death. Furthermore, smoking is closely linked to various neurological, cardiovascular, and pulmonary diseases. Smoking behavior can be influenced by several factors, such as knowledge, attitudes, and social environment. This study was aimed to identify the knowledge, attitude, and practice of smoking behavior in underage children in Indonesia. Inclusion criteria were children age 13-17, active smoker both cigarette and e-cigarette, and live in Indonesia. This study was a cross-sectional study using a structured online questionnaire that has been validated. Respondents' results were further analyzed to determine the relationship among each variable knowledge, attitudes, and practices using Spearman's correlation analysis. This survey was participated by 90 respondents. The majority of respondent were 17 years old (55.56%) and male (77.78%). The youngest range of age of respondent first being a smoker was 5-10 years old (10%). The results showed that there was no correlation between knowledge, attitude, and behavior. Education about the harmful of smoking need to be continued, especially for underage smokers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: Multiple studies have found that cigarette smokers are more likely to experience sleep disturbances than non-smokers. This study aimed to examine various associations between smoking and sleep quality according to sex and age, which have yet to be sufficiently examined in prior studies. METHODS: Data analysis was conducted using a nationally representative sample of 224,986 Korean adults who participated in the 2018 Korea Community Health Survey. Sleep quality, as the dependent variable, was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), with PSQI scores indicating either good (≤4 points) or poor (>5 points) sleep quality. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed considering socio-demographic factors, health behaviors, comorbidities, and psychological factors as covariates. RESULTS: The overall weighted prevalence of poor sleep quality was 39.4% (95% confidence interval, 39.1 to 39.7). In the multivariate model that excluded psychological factors, poor sleep quality positively correlated to smoking for both sexes and all age groups except for male aged ≥65 years. However, in the full model that included psychological factors, statistically significant odds ratios (approximately 1.5) for poor sleep quality according to smoking status were only observed for female under 65 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between poor sleep quality and smoking status differed according to sex and age. In order to improve the quality of sleep, it is necessary to intervene smoking cessation along with solving psychological problems, especially female in middle age and younger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION The current COVID-19 outbreak has led to sudden changes in routine and modifications in health behaviors. The study presented here investigates the changes in smoking behavior and beliefs due to the pandemic among a sample of individuals at the American University of Beirut (AUB) in Lebanon, between August and September 2020. METHODS This is a cross-sectional exploratory study based on data collected through an anonymous, web-based questionnaire. We performed descriptive and univariate analysis on sociodemographic factors, smoking practices, smoking behavior changes, and smoking beliefs. RESULTS In all, 197 participants (65.5% never smokers, 8.1% former smokers, and 26.4% current smokers) completed the online survey. Of these, 19.3% reported a change in their smoking behavior in the last four months, with an equal number of participants increasing and decreasing smoking. Univariate analysis showed that fear of contracting coronavirus and personal health concerns were significantly associated with a decrease in smoking. In contrast, the stress associated with the COVID-19 crisis and the economic crisis was associated with an increase in smoking. CONCLUSIONS The current COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in unexpected alterations in routine and changes in health behaviors. A quarter of all participants said they had changed their smoking habits, with an equal percentage saying they had increased or decreased their smoking. Future research is needed to look into changes in smoking behavior in a more representative group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of hardcore smokers who were previously hospitalized. Study design: A descriptive qualitative design was used to investigate a sample of 29 male Taiwanese smokers. Methods: Male hardcore smokers were recruited at a hospital in southern Taiwan and their smoking behaviors and attitudes were explored in semistructured interviews. Inclusion criteria were: (1) smoking at least weekly or daily during the past year, (2) 100 cigarettes during the lifetime, (3) persistent smoking, or (4) at least one hospitalization. Audio-recorded interview data were analyzed using content categorization of the responses. Results: Four main themes emerged to describe characteristics of Taiwanese hardcore smokers: (1) physiological and psychological dependence, (2) no motivation to quit despite knowledge of negative health consequences, (3) social interaction and cultural norms, and (4) negative attitudes toward, but compliance with, smoking-free policies. Conclusions: The results can inform public health nurses of characteristics of Taiwanese hardcore smokers, which in turn may develop effective smoking cessation program to increase smoking cessation rate among Taiwanese hardcore smokers.

Background: Peers contribute to the development of adolescents’ behavior during the transition period. Adolescents often justify their behavior with peers to confirm social norms of their surroundings. The increasing number of male adolescent smokers is raising public awareness to become acquainted with the cause of the behavior. Peer conformity is expected to be one of the vital variables to circulate smoking behavior. Purpose: This study aimed to determine the correlation between peer conformity and smoking behavior among male adolescents in a high school in Padang, Indonesia. Methods: A descriptive-analytical research design with a cross-sectional approach was used in this study. The samples were 154 male adolescents recruited by proportional random sampling. The data were collected using the questionnaires and analyzed using the Fisher exact test. Results: The results showed a significant correlation between peer conformity and smoking behavior among male adolescents (p=0.000). Peer conformity contributed to the development of smoking behavior among adolescents in this study. Conclusion: Peer conformity was evident to have a significant correlation with smoking behavior among male adolescents. Increasing assertiveness and life skill ability might be a necessity to adapt to negative behavior among adolescents.

Abstract Background Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) during pregnancy can cause pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes. About 40% of Chinese expectant fathers are smokers and they rarely attempt to quit smoking. There is a paucity of effective smoking cessation services targeting this population. In this study, we assessed the smoking behavior of Chinese expectant fathers and examined its association with smoking abstinence after their partner became pregnant, which is an essential prerequisite for designing effective smoking cessation interventions. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey in the obstetrics and gynecology clinic of three tertiary hospitals in China. Expectant fathers who smoked at least one cigarette per day for 1 month within the past 12 months were invited to participate in this study. The participants were asked to complete a structured questionnaire that assessed their smoking behaviors before and after their partner became pregnant. Results From December 2017 to March 2018, we recruited a total of 466 eligible expectant fathers, among whom 323 (69.3%) were identified as current smokers and 143 (30.7%) were ex-smokers. Using lasso regression, 19 features were selected from among 27 independent variables. The results of the selected multivariable logistic regression model showed that knowledge about the health hazards of smoking among smokers (odds ratio (OR) 1.39; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24 to 1.58; p

Governments across the world have been fighting against tobacco use by introducing a series of anti-tobacco measures to eliminate tobacco-related diseases. After ratifying the first global public health treaty by the World Health Organization in 2005, Turkey urgently implemented a series of anti-smoking policies to address the tobacco epidemic. We utilized data from the Global Adult Tobacco Surveys 2008 and 2012 for Turkey and implemented a Linear Probability Model to estimate the effect of introducing anti-smoking policies to provide new evidence on reducing smoking. Two significant anti-tobacco policies undertaken between 2009 and 2010 had a significant negative impact on the likelihood of being a current smoker. The new policies helped reduce the probability of being smokers for both females and males, but the effect was more substantial for male adults. Education has distinct effects on females and males such that with more education, female adults are more likely to smoke while the opposite is true for male adults. Policymakers should consider these findings to address tobacco consumption and announce multiple policies taking gender differences into account to stop the smoking epidemic.

Introduction: Smoking behavior in adolescents is a phenomenon that should be considered and can be easily found nowadays. The prevalence of teenage smokers aged 10-18 years in Indonesia increases every year. Smoking behavior can have various negative impacts both in terms of health, but also economic, social and psychological. The purpose of this research was to analyze factors related to smoking behavior in adolescents. Methods: A descriptive analysis with a cross-sectional approach was used in this research. 96 early adolescents participated in this research who were selected using a purposive sampling technique. The data was obtained from Belief-based Tobacco Smoking Scale questionnaires then analyzed using regression statistical tests (α

Abstract Background Smoking, especially among adolescents, is considered a serious public health concern worldwide being associated with increased mortality. The present study was designed as the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of current and former smoking behavior among adolescents in Iran. Methods Seven international scholarly databases, namely Scopus, Embase, Pubmed/Medline, ISI/Web of Science (WOS), the Cochrane Library, Psyc Info and Cinahl, were extensively searched from January 2000 to September 18, 2019. Google Scholar was also mined. Iranian databases were searched as well (namely, MagIran, Scientific Information Database (SID), and Barakatkns). The DerSimonian-Laird’s approach, via the Freeman-Tukey double arcsine method, was used to synthesize the prevalence estimates. Results The prevalence of current smokers among Iranian adolescents was estimated to be 9% (95% CI: 7 to 10). Stratifying based on gender, the prevalence was 12% among boys (95% CI: 10 to 14) and 6% among girls (95% CI: 5 to 8). The prevalence of former smokers among Iranian adolescents using the random-effect model was computed to be 24% (95% CI: 21 to 27). Conclusion The findings of this study showed that the prevalence of current and former smoking behavior among Iranian adolescents is a relevant public health concern. The country’s young population should be given more attention by health policy- and decision-makers and implementation of ad hoc prevention and control policies should be on their agenda.

Background: The relationship between smoking and coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is still topical with mixed epidemiological evidence. However, the pandemic may affect people's beliefs toward smoking as well as their smoking behavior and quit intentions. Considering high smoking rates in Jordan, our current study aimed to assess the following domains in a community-based sample from Jordan: (i) the beliefs that surround smoking/vaping and COVID-19 and (ii) the pandemic impact on smoking behavior and quit intention. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Jordan from March 9 to March 16, 2021, utilizing a web-based structured questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised 13 items on sociodemographic, health, and smoking profiles, 14 items to assess beliefs surrounding COVID-19 and the use of combustible cigarettes (CCs), waterpipe (WP), and electronic cigarettes (ECs), and 12 items to assess the pandemic impact on smoking behavior and quit intention. Results: Of 2424 survey respondents who participated in our study, there were 1163 never-smokers, 1044 current smokers, and 217 ex-smokers. The mean age of participants was 35.2 years (SD: 11.06). Most participants have reported anti-smoking beliefs with around 72.9% believed that WP smoking is related to the risk of contracting COVID-19. Also, 71.7% believed that smoking CC may worsen the COVID-19 clinical course, while 74.1% of respondents believed that smoking has no protective effect against COVID-19. During the pandemic, about 28.1% and 19.3% of current smokers reported increased or reduced smoking, respectively. Besides, 459 current smokers have expressed their plans/intention to quit smoking during the pandemic, of whom 27.5% (n = 126) confirmed that the driving force for their decision is a COVID-19-related reason, such as self-protection (n = 123) and protection of family members (n = 121) which were the most cited reasons. Also, around 63 participants have successfully ceased smoking during the pandemic. However, only 22 of them reported that the main driving motivation of their successful quit attempt was the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: Most participants' beliefs and attitudes were against smoking during the pandemic. Nevertheless, the double-edged effect of the pandemic on smoking habits should be carefully considered, and reliable anti-smoking measures should be strengthened and sustained in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]