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Abstract Background Expanding the information on determinants of smoking cessation is crucial for developing and implementing more effective tobacco control measures at the national as well as European levels. Data on smoking cessation and its social correlates among adults from middle-income countries of Central and Eastern Europe are still poorly reported in the literature. The aim of the study was to analyze the association of socio-demographic indicators with long term tobacco smoking cessation (quit smoking for at least one year prior to interview) among adults. Moreover, we evaluated motives for giving up smoking from former smokers. Methods Data on former as well as current smokers’ socio-demographic and smoking-related characteristics were derived from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS). GATS is a cross-sectional, nationally representative household survey implemented in Poland between 2009 and 2010. GATS collected data on a representative sample of 7,840 individuals including 1,206 individuals who met the criteria of long-term smoking cessation and 2,233 current smokers. Smoking cessation rate was calculated as the number of former smokers divided by the number of ever smokers. Logistic regression analyses were used to obtain odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of the broad number of variables on successful cessation of smoking. Results Among females the quit rate was 30.4% compared to 37.9% in males (p Conclusion Results indicated that smoking cessation policies focused on younger age groups are vital for curbing tobacco epidemic in Poland and should become a public health main concern. There is also the need for interventions to raise awareness on smoking health risks and quitting benefits are crucial to increase cessation potential among adult smokers. Nevertheless further effort needs to be done to prevent smoking uptake.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to establish whether the driver's visual strategy may influence a driver's behavior to avoid a crash in a high-risk situation. Any published papers on drivers' visual strategies just before a crash were not found.Material and Methods: Tests were performed using a high-tech driving bus simulator. Participants comprised 45 men drivers, aged 43.5±7.9 years old, seniority as a bus driver of 13.3±8.6 years. The tests were preceded by medical examinations: general, neurological and ophthalmological. Each participant drove the same city route for approximately 40 min (entire route - ER). In the final phase, a collision situation was simulated (a phantom car blocked the participant's right of way). Driver's visual strategy was analyzed using the FaceLab device with 2 cameras during ER and just before collision. The field-of-view covered by camera 1 was divided into 8 regions, by camera 2 into 10 regions. The distribution of gazes in regions was a criterion of visual strategy.Results: Thirty-five drivers completed the simulated driving test, 14 escaped the collision, 21 crashed. These groups differed only in resting systolic blood pressure before the test. The analysis of covariance, after adjusting to this factor, indicated that during the ER visual strategy recorded by camera 1 did not differ between groups, in camera 2 the drivers in the crash group fixed their gaze more frequently (p = 0.049) in region 3 (close part of the road in front of the windshield). Just before the collision drivers who escaped the collision fixed their gaze significantly more often in region 6 (left side of the road) in camera 1 and in region 6 (in front of the windshield,) and region 10 (right side) in camera 2.Conclusions: The visual strategy has an impact on the road safety. The analysis of visual strategies may be a useful tool for the training of drivers. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2019;32(2):161-74. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to highlight major predictors of the frequency of sickness absence in a group of workers directly involved in customer service.Material and Methods: The study was carried out on a random sample of 229 women employed as assistants and clerks in post offices. The survey was based on the Subjective Work, Health Status and Life Style Characteristics Questionnaire, and sickness absence data for the years 2004-2006.Results: The negative binominal regression model of sickness absence risk revealed the following significant predictors of short-term absence spells (1-29 days): 1) marital status, sickness absence risk for single women was (rate ratio (RR)) = 1.56 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-2.39) vs. married women; 2) post offices employing 7 workers had a rate ratio of sickness absence of 1.6 (95% CI: 1.04-2.42); 13-25 workers - RR = 2.03 (95% CI: 1.41-2.93); > 25 workers - RR = 1.82 (95% CI: 1.15-2.88) compared with an average number of 8-12 workers; 3) shift work, RR = 1.57 (95% CI: 1.14-2.14); 4) breaks from work - the risk of absence in the case of any breaks amounted to RR = 1.5 (95% CI: 1.07-2.07) in comparison with the statutory breaks; 5) self-rated health reported as moderate relative to good health, RR = 1.71 (95% CI: 1.26-2.32); and 6) occurrence of respiratory diseases resulted in the risk of RR = 1.51 (95% CI: 1.08-2.08). The Poisson regression model of long-term sickness absence spells (≥ 30 days) revealed the following significant predictors: 1) number of clients per shift: 51-100 clients, RR = 3.62 (95% CI: 1.07-22.6) compared with a lower number of clients; 2) self-rated health, assessed as moderate, RR = 1.97 (95% CI: 1.06-3.78) and 3) household chores performed for at least 4 h a day, RR = 0.4 (95% CI: 0.18-0.79).Conclusions: Association between sickness absence and workload as well as work organization indicates directions of corrective actions, which could reduce the scale of the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: At least 50% of smokers die prematurely. Those who smoke heavily are at an increased health risk. The purpose of the current report was to evaluate socio-demographic correlates of heavy smoking among employed men and women.Material and Methods: Data derive from the representative, household study - the Global Adult Tobacco Survey conducted in Poland over the years 2008-2010.Results: Of 14 000 households selected for the survey, 7840 sampled individuals completed the interviews. Among 1189 daily smokers, the rate of heavy smokers was 63.5% in males and 43% in employed females (p < 0.001). The study showed that age and age at the smoking onset were significantly associated with heavy smoking among both genders. Among males and females the heavy smoking rate was the highest in the subjects that started smoking at the age between 14-17 years compared to those who started smoking at the age ≥ 21 years (odds ratio (OR) = 3.3, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2-5.5, p < 0.001 and OR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.4-5.3, p < 0.0001, respectively). The men with house rules that prohibited smoking with some exceptions were 2.4 times more likely to be heavy smokers in comparison with those having rules which completely prohibited it (p < 0.01). The men working in workplaces where smoking was prohibited in all indoor areas were at lower odds of heavy smoking relative to those working in areas where smoking was allowed everywhere (OR = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3-0.9, p < 0.05). Among the men, there was also an association between job features and heavy smoking, which was not observed among the women.Conclusions: These findings should be taken into account while developing tobacco control measures addressed to economically active population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) constitutes a threat to the health of many people. In order to diminish ETS exposure, countries (including Poland) implemented legal restrictions of smoking in public places and worksites. Currently more attention is also paid to reduce overall and residential ETS exposure by voluntary smoke-free home policy adoption. The aim of current analysis was to evaluate the prevalence and determinants of implementing smoking bans at place of residence among economically active males and females in Poland.Material and Methods: Data from cross-sectional, household study - Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS 2009-2010) were analyzed. The logistic regression model was applied for appropriate calculations.Results: Out of 3696 studied subjects only 37.1% adopted total smoking ban within the home. Decreased likelihood of adopting total smoking bans was associated with current smoker status, low education attainment, lack of awareness on adverse health consequences of ETS, low level of support for tobacco control policies, and cohabitation with a smoker in both genders. Having smoke-free homes was also linked with age in women, place of residence and work smoking policy in indoor areas in men.Conclusions: Targeted activities to encourage adopting voluntary smoke-free rules among groups least likely to implement 100% smoking bans in the home and activities to decrease social acceptance of smoking in the presence of nonsmokers, children, pregnant woman are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]