Cigarette Smoking Prevalence Among Adults Working in the Health Care and Social Assistance Sector, 2008 to 2012

The Impact of Masking Habits on Voice in a Sub-population of Healthcare Workers

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of face masks on voice in a sub-population of healthcare workers, namely residents, medical students, and nurses, during the COVID-19 era.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in a large tertiary care center where a 23-items web-based questionnaire was conveyed to sub-population of healthcare professionals, namely residents, medical students, and nurses. The questionnaire included demographic data, type, and duration of mask use. Voice outcome measures included the Voice Handicap Index (VHI)-10 questionnaire and the visual analogue scale for vocal effort and vocal fatigue.

RESULTS

A total of 178 participants answered the survey. One third had an abnormal score on the VHI-10 questionnaire, one third reported moderate to severe vocal fatigue, and 45% of the participants had moderate to severe vocal effort based on a visual analogue scale score. There was a significant association between the type of mask used and vocal fatigue (P = 0.044). No significant association was seen between the duration of mask used and the different voice outcome measures.

CONCLUSION

Masking habits during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with a high prevalence of vocal fatigue, effort and abnormal VHI-10 score among residents, medical students, and nurses.

Prevalence and extent of low back pain and low back-related disability in non-care-seeking working-age adults

OBJECTIVE

To explore the prevalence and extent of low back pain (LBP) and low back-related disability in working-age adults not seeking care.

METHODS

A convenience sample of 101 working-age adults not seeking care for LBP completed the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) as measures of disability and completed questionnaires that collected information on various demographic and health-related variables. Those reporting current LBP also completed a Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Prevalence was assessed based on a dichotomization of whether any disability or pain was reported and also as a continuous variable to assess the extent of pain and disability present for each participant.

RESULTS

Of the 101 participants, 72.3% reported some level of disability (ODI mean = 7.91%, RMDQ mean = 2.63) and 46.5% reported some level of pain (NRPS mean = 3.68). Previous care-seeking for LBP was associated with increased odds of reporting disability (ODI odds ratio [OR] 7.91, 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.43 to 31.18; RMDQ OR 2.69, 95% CI, 1.05 to 7.24), as was reporting any current LBP (ODI OR 9.45, 95% CI, 3.15 to 33.21; RMDQ OR 7.03, 95% CI, 2.82 to 18.89). No other demographic or health-related variables were associated with the presence or extent of pain or disability.

CONCLUSION

Many non-care-seeking individuals reported some level of LBP and/or disability, suggesting that some level of pain and disability may be considered normal, acceptable, or manageable. One-third of individuals with no pain reported some disability.

Tobacco use and related behaviors among staff and students in a university hospital: A large cross-sectional survey

INTRODUCTION

Smoking prevalence in the overall population in France was 27% in 2017. There are few data about smoking prevalence in hospital workers. The aim of this study was to assess prevalence of current smoking in student and staff populations at Lyon University Hospital. Secondary objectives were to identify main variables associated with current smoking and willingness to quit.

METHODS

We designed a single center, cross-sectional survey, using printed questionnaires. During one day, all registered staff and students were surveyed. We used optical reading to extract information from questionnaires. We performed univariate and multivariate analysis adjusted on most relevant factors.

RESULTS

We analyzed 9712 questionnaires. The participating rates were high: 40.6% in the student cohort and 51.5% in the staff cohort. The proportion of current cigarette users was 26% in students and 25% in staff. In multivariate analysis, current smoking was significantly associated with: younger age, male sex, occupation type (e.g. logistical staff, and paramedical students), overnight work, and e-cigarette use. Among smokers, 53% reported a willingness to quit. In multivariate analysis, number of quit attempts, and feeling symptoms from tobacco were associated with willingness to quit.

CONCLUSIONS

Current smoking is less frequent in our cohorts of hospital staff and students than in the general French population. However, there are deep disparities in current smoking prevalence underlining a heterogeneous population. Among smokers, the majority reported a willingness to quit and some predictive factors may help to target this audience.

National, regional, and global prevalence of cigarette smoking among women/females in the general population: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

This systematic and meta-analysis review aimed to provide an updated estimate of the prevalence of ever and current cigarette smoking in women, in geographic areas worldwide, and demonstrate a trend of the prevalence of smoking over time by using a cumulative meta-analysis.

Methods

Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published on the prevalence of ever and current cigarette smoking in women. We searched PubMed, Web of Science (ISI), Scopus, and Ovid from January 2010 to April 2020. The reference lists of the studies included in this review were also screened. Data were reviewed and extracted independently by two authors. A random effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of ever and current cigarette smoking in women. Sources of heterogeneity among the studies were determined using subgroup analysis and meta-regression.

Results

The pooled prevalence of ever and current cigarette smoking in women was 28% and 17%, respectively. The pooled prevalence of ever cigarette smoking in adolescent girls/students of the school, adult women, pregnant women, and women with the disease was 23%, 27%, 32%, and 38%, respectively. The pooled prevalence of ever cigarette smoking in the continents of Oceania, Asia, Europe, America, and Africa was 36%, 14%, 38%, 31%, and 32%, respectively.

Conclusions

The prevalence of cigarette smoking among women is very high, which is significant in all subgroups of adolescents, adults, and pregnant women. Therefore, it is necessary to design and implement appropriate educational programs for them, especially in schools, to reduce the side effects and prevalence of smoking among women.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12199-020-00924-y.

Factors Contributing to Nurse Productivity in Public Hospitals in Surabaya, Indonesia

This study aimed at examining the factors that contribute to nursing productivity in public hospitals in Surabaya. Data relating to the respondents' characteristics and their productivity were collected using a questionnaire incorporating the Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale. The samples were drawn from 31 nurses form the emergency room (ER) and 29 nurses from the intensive care unit (ICU) wards of a public hospital in Surabaya, Indonesia, of whom, 52 nurses participated voluntarily and indicated their willingness to respond by signing an informed consent form. The chi-square and Fisher's exact test was used to determine associations between the determinants (demographic characteristics, lifestyle and nutritional status) and productivity and the strength of association was identified by using logistic regression. The results from this study found that gender had borderline significant and duration of work experience had a significant association with nurse productivity. Therefore, gender and duration of working experience are factors which should be taken into consideration when managing human resources working in ERs and ICUs while basic nursing competencies are clearly also important factors in maintaining productivity.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practices and motivation to quit tobacco habits in relation to age and educational status among male tobacco users visiting a Government Dental College Hospital, India

BACKGROUND

Tobacco use has become an epidemic of modern times. Its use is widespread among young adults and those from lower socioeconomic classes.

OBJECTIVE

The objective is to assess knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) and motivation to quit tobacco habits in relation to age and educational status among male tobacco users visiting a Government Dental College Hospital, India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a questionnaire survey conducted among 199 male adult smokers visiting the Department of Public Health Dentistry in a Government Dental College in India. Quota sampling was used for recruiting the required number of study participants. Information on KAP related to smoking habits was collected using a predesigned structured questionnaire by two trained and calibrated dentists. Knowledge, attitude toward quitting and their self-confidence toward quitting was compared in relation to age and educational status using Chi-square test.

RESULTS

A higher percentage of younger adults aged 18-24 years were interested in quitting the habit (100%) compared to those aged 45-64 years (85.2%). Similarly, a higher percentage of young adults have tried quitting the habit (76.9%) compared to their older counterparts (64.8%) (P < 0.05). Knowledge on ill effects of smoking increased with increasing educational attainment (P < 0.001). People with higher educational attainment had observed the warning sign on packaging (73.7%) compared to those with less than primary education (25.9%) and they also reported that the presence of such warning sign motivated them to think about quitting (54.8% vs. 0%) (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Knowledge, positive attitude toward quitting and self-confidence to quit were higher among younger adults and those with secondary education compared to their elder counterparts and those with less than primary education.

A review of the effects of very low nicotine content cigarettes on behavioral and cognitive performance

The present systematic review examines whether very low nicotine content (VLNC) cigarettes ameliorate withdrawal-induced impairments in behavioral/cognitive performance. PubMed, PsycInfo, and Web of Science were searched for performance effects of VLNC cigarettes. For inclusion, reports had to be in English, published in a peer-reviewed journal through June 2017, examine VLNC cigarettes (<0.2mg nicotine yield), include ≥2hour smoking abstinence or reduced nicotine exposure, and examine performance. 19 of 1243 articles reviewed met inclusion criteria. Poorer performance after smoking VLNC versus normal nicotine content (NNC) cigarettes was observed across 7 of 10 domains, including reaction time (8/11), short-term memory (3/10), sustained attention (4/6), inhibitory control (1/4), long-term memory (3/3 studies), and response variability (2/2). In two studies, combining VLNC smoking with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) resulted in performance that was comparable to performance after NNC smoking. VLNC versus NNC differences were not discerned in motor control/functioning (0/2), visuospatial processing (0/2), learning (0/1), or verbal fluency (0/1). Eleven of nineteen (58%) studies were rated of Good or Excellent quality. Overall, VLNC cigarettes may not fully ameliorate withdrawal-induced disruptions in performance, although this varies by domain, with the strongest evidence for reaction time. Importantly, combining VLNC cigarettes with NRT appears to ameliorate withdrawal that is not reduced by VLNC cigarettes alone. As only 19 studies were identified, many domains are under-investigated. A more thorough evaluation of the extent to which VLNC cigarettes affect withdrawal-impaired performance may be warranted.

Frequency and Risk of Occupational Health and Safety Hazards for Home Healthcare Workers

Given the increased prevalence of chronic disease and health care costs, more individuals are treated in the home, which has augmented the demand for more Home Healthcare Workers (HHCWs) in the field. HHCWs face multiple hazards with injury rates being more than double the national average; however, current studies on HHCWs have provided limited understanding of their occupational safety & health experiences and exposures. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency and risk of exposures through perceptions of HHCWs. The results of this study provide an initial picture of the different risks that HHCWs face daily. These findings show that studies involving HHCWs occupational safety need to be job-specific, and the proposed interventions will also likely need to be tailored by HHCWs type.