Background: Tobacco use exacerbates diseases, including tuberculosis (TB) and interferes with recovery from such outcomes. However, there is sparse research on the integration of tobacco cessation into TB programs. Moreover, there is limited evidence on how mHealth solutions for tobacco can enhance cessation among TB patients. This study aimed to assess the impact of a training program to integrate tobacco cessation in TB program on the knowledge of health workers. Methods: In June 2017, a 5-day training about tobacco use and control and the use of mHealth solutions to improve tobacco cessation and enhance adherence to TB treatment was conducted in Uganda. A comparison of percent of participants reporting knowledge on selected health outcomes of tobacco use and secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure was conducted. Knowledge was assessed on a 21-outcome-item before and after training. A non-parametric test, signrank for comparison of paired observations was conducted. The changes were considered statistically significant if the p-value was less than 5%. Results: Twenty three trainees from across the country attended (13 females, 10 males), with median age of the trainees was 39 years. Pre-training knowledge about tobacco use (66.6%) was higher than SHS exposure (45%). Following the training, both sets of knowledge significantly improved (median 100%). Pre-training knowledge about health effects of tobacco use was particularly low for diabetes (27%), meningitis (9.5%), ear infection (43%), impotence (47.6%), and fibrosis (30%). Except heart attack (76%), lung illness among children (91%), lung cancer (81%), and chronic lung disease (81%), pre-training knowledge about SHS was low for all other disease outcomes. Conclusions: Healthcare providers play critical role in preventing and reducing tobacco use. The low pre-training knowledge of the TB health workers suggests the critical need for training health providers in Uganda and elsewhere in Africa in order to curtail the increasing trend in usage.

No description available.

Purpose: We investigated the associations of early onset polysubstance use prior to age 18 with the prevalence of bronchitis among U.S. adults and tested whether the associations differ by gender. Methods: A total of 77,950 adults, of them 2,653 with bronchitis in the past year, were from the combined 2013 and 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data. The variable cluster analysis was used to classify nine variables about substance use prior to age 18 (cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, ecstasy, and phencyclidine). Weighted multivariate logistic regression analysis (MLR) was used to examine the associations with bronchitis. Results: Nine variables were divided into two clusters: early onset poly tobacco use (three tobacco use variables) and early onset poly drug use (six drug use variables). The overall prevalence of bronchitis was 3.8% (5.1% for females and 2.3% for males). MLR analysis showed that being female, elderly (ages 65 and above), obese, and early onset poly tobacco use were associated with increased odds of bronchitis (p < 0.05). Gender-stratified analyses showed that early-onset poly tobacco use was significantly associated with bronchitis only in males, whereas early onset poly drug use was associated with bronchitis only in females. Moreover, obesity and tobacco use in the past year revealed associations with bronchitis regardless of gender. Conclusions: Obesity, early onset poly tobacco use prior to age 18, and tobacco use in the past year were positively associated with bronchitis; furthermore, the associations of early onset polysubstance use with bronchitis differed by gender, which indicated that gender differences should be considered in developing effective prevention strategies.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore an association between e-cigarette use and Quality of Life (QOL) among college students. METHODS: During February 2016, 1,132 students completed an online survey that included measures of tobacco use and the WHOQOL-BREF instrument. Differences were tested using Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, and ANOVA, and regression was used to assess possible relationships. RESULTS: E-cigarettes were used by 6.97% of the participants, either solo or along with traditional cigarettes. Bivariate analyses suggest that male college students are more likely than females to use e-cigarettes, either solo or in combination with traditional cigarettes (χ =19.4, < .01). Lesbian, gay, and bisexual students are more likely than heterosexual students to use traditional cigarettes, either solo or in combination with e-cigarettes (χ = 32.9, < .01). Multivariate models suggest that for every 10-unit increase in overall QOL, psychological well-being, social relations or environmental health the adjusted odds of being a sole cigarette user were significantly lower (all, < .01), respectively. For every 10-unit increase in psychological well-being the adjusted odds of being a dual user was significantly lower (OR = .83, = .026). CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that lower quality of life appears to be connected to tobacco use.

No description available.

No description available.

In undertaking this study the investigator had the following purposes: 1. To determine the percentage of the college women of the study who are cigarette smokers. 2. To determine the percentage of the college men of the study who are cigarette smokers. 3. To determine the carious habits of the students who participated in the study in regard to cigarette smoking. 4. To determine the students' reasons for smoking cigarettes. 5. To determine the opinions and attitudes of the students of the study in regard to cigarette smoking. 6. To compare the women students with the men students of the study in regard to cigarette smoking on the basis of the data obtained.

Three-hundred and thirty-three surveys were distributed to male and female nurses employed at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Salem, Virginia. The survey was designed to determine if nurses who smoke perceive more stress from their jobs. Of the 124 nurses who responded to the survey, there were no significant differences in ratings of perceived stress between nurses who reported that they were current smokers and those who reported that they were non-smokers. Overall, the mean rating of perceived stress for both smokers and non-smokers were rated low to average on a six-point Likert-type Scale. Although the relationship between the smoking and perceived stress items on the survey did not reach statistical significance, over fifty percent of the respondents reported that they would be interested in participating in a stress management program; and a higher percentage of smokers reported an interest in stress management than non-smokers. No significant differences were found in the coping methods between smokers and non-smokers in reporting how they would cope with two specific stressful work situations. The results of this study indicate that, for this particular population, those who smoke do not perceive significantly higher levels of stress from their jobs than non-smokers. / Master of Science

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences