Both smoking addiction and illicit substance abuse are prevalent issues in the United States today. Furthermore, these are issues that have significant impact on women’s health and mental state. Despite research that shows that smoking cessation coupled with substance abuse recovery can decrease likelihood of relapse post-recovery, few substance abuse recovery facilities today offer smoking cessation programming options. To address the issue of smoking addiction on top of substance abuse recovery, formative research was conducted through this study to determine the underlying causes of smoking habits coupled with recovery efforts and the attitudes. Through focus group sessions with women in a residential treatment facility in the southeastern US, a determination of the specific audience’s motivations to smoke and perceived self-efficacy to quit smoking was made. Based on the findings of this formative research, a full social marketing plan was then developed to offer an intervention program option for smoking cessation among a target audience of women undergoing residential treatment for substance abuse. The study conducted and the social marketing developed from it proposes a pilot program that may be implemented in other similar settings with similar populations in the future.

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Government and Public Administration

M. Tech. Business Administration / This is a study about perceptions, attitudes and behaviours held by employees of the South African Department of Defence (DOD) on the fairness of the Tobacco Control Policy (TCP) at the workplace in DOD. It was based on a stratified random sample of n=125 individuals selected from 1, 000 employees. The study was also predominantly quantitative in nature, where data was collected with a pre-tested and validated structured questionnaire. Pearsons chi-square tests of association and factor analysis were used for identifying factors that significantly influenced perception on the TCP adopted by DOD. The Cronbach Alpha test and face validation were used for ensuring internal consistency and validity.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Hintergrund: Das Thema Rauchen und Tabakentwöhnung ist in der medizinischen Lehre vieler Universitäten unterrepräsentiert. Ziel der Untersuchung war es, den Wissensstand der Grazer und Bratislavaer Medizinstudierenden diesbezüglich zu untersuchen. Methode: Im Zeitraum vom WS 2007/2008 bis WS 2008/2009 wurden Medizinstudierende beider Universitäten mittels eines standardisierten dreiseitigen Fragebogens befragt. Ergebnisse: 1356 Probanden nahmen an der Befragung teil. Die Raucherquoten der befragten Medizinstudierenden lagen bei 21,6% für Graz und 24,9% für Bratislava. Eine adäquate Repräsentation des Themas in der Lehre beider Universitäten konnte nicht nachgewiesen werden. Die Mehrheit der Befragten beider Universitäten kannte die durch das Rauchen bedingte Mortalität nicht; Nikotin wurde als Hauptrisikoinhaltsstoff beim Rauchen betrachtet. Die Mehrheit der Studierenden beider Universitäten schätzte die Willenskraft des Patienten für einen erfolgreichen Rauchstopp als entscheidender als Entwöhnungsprogramme in Kombination mit einer Nikotinersatztherapie ein. Schlussfolgerung: Der Wissensstand der befragten Medizinstudierenden in Bezug auf das Thema Rauchen und Tabakentwöhnung war unzureichend. Die Lehre an den Universitäten bezüglich dieses Themas muss verbessert werden.

Aim. To assess the association of smoking prevention program with children knowledge and attitudes towards smoking as well as with their smoking behavior. Methods. Survey targeted at the 11-15 years old pupils and was carried out in four schools in Latvia and four schools in Liverpool before and after peer-to-peer pilot intervention. 931 questionnaires in Riga and 836 in Liverpool were used for data analysis. SPSS 15.0 for Windows has been utilized for processing the statistical data. The statistical significance of the data in question was tested, by using the chi-square (χ2) and Z criteria. Results. 15% of pupils in Riga (12% girls and 19% boys) and 8% in Liverpool (13% and 5%) smoked during last month, from which 3% and 1% - smoked daily. 92% of respondents in Liverpool and 94% in Riga knew that smoking is harmful for health. Before intervention 85% of pupils in Riga and 90% in Liverpool declared not smoking if one of the best friends offered a cigarette, ever smokers were less likely to resist. 35% in Liverpool and 49% Riga thought that girls and accordingly, 29% and 40% boys who smoke have less friends. Majority of population in both cities thought that smoking makes young people look less attractive. Approximately, half of the smokers were willing to quit with higher percentage of those who smoked daily. 50% of children in Riga and 44% in Liverpool schools were exposed to ETS at least one day, last week (daily, 22% and 19%), which was strongly associated with... [to full text] / Paukštė E. Vaikų ir jaunimo rūkymo prevencijos organizavimas bendruomenėje. Visuomenės sveikatos vadybos magistro baigiamasis darbas / darbo vadovas doc. Veryga A.; Lietuvos sveikatos mokslų universitetas, Medicinos akademija, Visuomenės sveikatos fakultetas, Sveikatos vadybos katedra. – Kaunas, 2011. – 98 p. Darbo tikslas. Įvertinti vaikų rūkymo prevencijos programos reikšmę vaikų žinioms, nuostatoms apie rūkymą bei jų rūkymo įpročiams. Metodai. Anoniminė 11-15 metų moksleivių apklausa atlikta keturiose Latvijos ir keturiose Liverpulio mokyklose prieš ir po bendraamžis-bendraamžiui bandomają intervenciją. Į duomenų analizę buvo įtraukta 931 anketa Rygoje ir 836 anketos Liverpulyje. Statistinė duomenų analizė buvo atlikta naudojant statistinį programinį paketą SPSS 15.0 for Windows. Surinktų duomenų skirtumų patikimumas buvo vertinamas Chi kvadrato (χ2) ir Z kriterijais. Rezultatai. Nustatyta, jog per pastarąsias 30 dienų, Rygoje rūkė 15 proc. (12 proc. mergaičių ir 19 proc. berniukų) ir Liverpulyje 8 proc. moksleivių (13 proc. ir 5 proc.) iš kurių 3 proc. ir 1 proc. rūkė kasdien. 92 proc. moksleivių Liverpulyje ir 94 proc. Rygoje žinojo, jog rūkymas yra žąlingas sveikatai. 85 proc. vaikų Rygoje ir 90 proc. Liverpulyje prieš intervenciją teigė, jog nerūkytų jeigu vienas geriausių draugų pasiūlytų cigaretę. 35 proc. apklaustųjų Liverpulyje ir 49 proc. Rygoje manė, jog mergaitės ir atitinkamai, 29 proc. ir 40 proc. berniukai, kurie rūko turi mažiau draugų. Beto, didžioji... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Thesis (D.P.H.)--University of Michigan.

Dissertation (D.P.H.)--University of Michigan.

Σκοπός της παρούσας μελέτης είναι η σύγκριση των συγκεντρώσεων 6 ορμονών, Ε3, β-hCG, hPL, FSH, LH και κορτιζόλη στο αίμα του ομφαλίου λώρου των νεογέννητων των καπνιστριών γυναικών σε σχέση με τις μη καπνίστριες μητέρες. Μέθοδοι: Οι παραπάνω ορμόνες μετρήθηκαν στο αίμα ομφαλίου λώρου σε 100 νεογνά των οποίων οι μητέρες κάπνιζαν (ομάδα μελέτης) και 100 παιδιά των οποίων οι μητέρες δεν κάπνιζαν (ομάδα ελέγχου). Αποτελέσματα: H μέση τιμή των συγκεντρώσεων E3, hPL, β-hCG, FSH, LH και κορτιζόλης στα νεογνά μη καπνιζόντων μητέρων ήταν 212 ng/mL, 2.00 microg/mL, 57.5 mIU/mL, 0.10 mIU/mL, 0.20 mIU/mL, and 14.3 microg/mL, αντιστοίχως· στα νεογνά των καπνιστριών μητέρων ήταν 163, 1.39, 45.4, 0.10, 0.20, and 25.1, αντιστοίχως (p=0.008, 0.004, 0.037, 0.498, 0.286, 0.004, respectively). Διαπιστώθηκε σημαντική αλλά αρνητική συσχέτιση μεταξύ του αριθμού των τσιγάρων ανά ημέρα και των E3 (r=-0.163, P=0.021), hPL (r=-0.191, P=0.007) και β-hCG (r=-0.143, P=0.044), ενώ η συσχέτιση με την κορτιζόλη ήταν θετική (r=0.259, P<0.0001). Πολλαπλή γραμμική εξαρτημένη ανάλυση έδειξε ότι το μητρικό κάπνισμα ήταν καθοριστικός παράγοντας για τις συγκεντρώσεις των ορμονών E3, hPL, β-hCG, FSH, και κορτιζόλη του αίματος του ομφαλίου λώρου. Συμπέρασμα: Το κάπνισμα συσχετίζεται με μείωση των συγκεντρώσεων των ορμονών E3, hPL, β-hCG και FSH του αίματος του ομφαλίου λώρου. Ενώ, συσχετίζεται με αυξημένη συγκέντρωση κορτιζόλης. Η διαταραγμένη ενδοκρινική ισορροπία του εμβρύου από το κάπνισμα του καπνού μπορεί να έχει αρνητικές επιδράσεις στο έμβρυο και το παιδί εφόσον ο εμβρυϊκός εγκέφαλος είναι στόχος ορμονικών δράσεων. / To determine the effect of maternal cigarette smoking on cord blood concentrations of E3, hPL, beta-hCG, FSH, LH, and cortisol. Hormone concentrations were measured in term neonates of 100 smoking and 100 non-smoking mothers. The median E3, hPL, beta-hCG, FSH, LH and cortisol cord blood concentrations in the non-smoking mothers' offspring were 212 ng/mL, 2.00 microg/mL, 57.5 mIU/mL, 0.10 mIU/mL, 0.20 mIU/mL, and 14.3 microg/mL, respectively; in the smoking they were 163, 1.39, 45.4, 0.10, 0.20, and 25.1, respectively (P=0.008, 0.004, 0.037, 0.498, 0.286, 0.004, respectively). There was a significant but poor negative correlation between number of cigarettes/day and E3 (r=-0.163, P=0.021), hPL (r=-0.191, P=0.007), and beta-hCG (r=-0.143, P=0.044), whereas the correlation with cortisol was positive (r=0.259, P<0.0001). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that maternal smoking is a determinant of cord blood E3, hPL, beta-hCG, FSH, and cortisol concentrations. Tobacco smoking is associated with a reduction in cord blood E3, hPL, and beta-hCG concentrations, whereas it is associated with increased cortisol concentrations. The disturbed endocrine equilibrium of the fetus induced by tobacco smoking could have adverse consequences on the fetus and child since fetal brain is a target organ for hormonal actions.

This Diploma Thesis bears the theme ?Attitudes of the Pub And Restaurant Employees to the Passive Smoking Problem ? Awareness, Health Influences, Regulation?. The smoking related illnesses and deaths constitute the most difficult problem of the public health care in most countries where smoking is a common habit. Health harm risk owing to tobacco smoke is not limited to smokers only, however even those are exposed to such a harm who inhale the tobacco smoke involuntarily ? ?passive smokers?. The aim of this Thesis was so map the problem and influence of the passive smoking in the environment of pubs and restaurants in České Budějovice. To reach this target, both quantitative and qualitative approach of investigation was used. Respecting the quantitative research via the questionnaire method there were three hypotheses to be defined: ?There is no significant difference between awareness of the passive smoking impacts between the employees of smoking and non-smoking pubs and restaurants?, ?The motivation of pubs and restaurants to keep the smoking concept is, primarily, the fear that they might lose their customers?, ?Employees ? smokers started to smoke owing to their work in the smoking environment?. The first two hypotheses were verified, the third one not. The quantitative research utilized the structured dialogue technique. This part of research included two research questions. The first referred to the employee awareness of passive smoking, the second aimed at fact whether the motivation factor of the pub or restaurant to be pronounced the non-smoking establishment is the care of the employee health. After the research had been completed and analysed, the set target was met. Working on this Thesis I obtained a lot of new findings, and I think that it could be a contribution even to practice and serve as an instructional and information material. In particular, as the Thesis brings brief and clear summary of basic findings concerning the passive smoking and it alerts to topicality and importance of the passive smoking not only in the pubs and restaurants. The Diploma Thesis can be also used to publish the research results in order to improve the working conditions of the pub and restaurant employees alerting them to the passive smoking harmfulness which is often underestimated and marginalized.