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Lotrean LM, Sabo SA. Digital Health Training, Attitudes and Intentions to Use It among Romanian Medical Students: A Study Performed during COVID-19 Pandemic. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:1731. [PMID: 37372849 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11121731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study focuses on medical students from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and has three objectives. First, it evaluates the opinions of medical students regarding their previous training as well as their needs for future training in the field of digital health. Second, it assesses their attitudes regarding digital health and their intention to use digital tools as physicians. Lastly, the interrelationship between these issues as well as the socio-demographic factors which influence them are investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional survey was performed during June-August 2021 among fifth and sixth year students of the Faculty of Medicine from the Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Anonymous online questionnaires were used which were filled in by 306 students. RESULTS Less than half of the participating students declared that they benefited from training or different practical examples during medical education regarding the use of digital tools in different medical areas, while the majority said that they would like to receive more training in the field of digital health. A total of 58.2% said that they totally agree with the introduction of a formal training in the medical curricula regarding digital health. Many students declared positive attitudes toward the use of digital tools in different domains within the medical field and intention to use digital tools as physicians; several differences were noted, including gender, year of study, type of domain, and previous training with regard to the use of digital tools in those domains. Moreover, the need for future training and the desire for the introduction of a formal training program into the medical curricula with regard to this field were stronger among those with more positive attitudes and higher intentions to use digital tools in their medical activity. CONCLUSIONS To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study from Romania which investigated the training, attitudes, and intentions regarding the use of digital health among Romanian medical students, and offers valuable information to guide the education of medical students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Maria Lotrean
- Department of Community Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Simina Antonia Sabo
- Department of Community Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Trofor AC, Cernomaz AT, Lotrean LM, Crișan-Dabija RA, Penalvo JL, Melinte OE, Popa DR, Man MA. Prognostic Role of Clinical Features of Moderate Forms of COVID-19 Requiring Hospitalization. J Pers Med 2023; 13:900. [PMID: 37373889 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13060900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We aimed to characterize the clinical features of moderate forms of COVID-19 requiring hospitalization and potentially identify predictors for unfavorable outcomes. METHODS Pooled anonymized clinical data from 452 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in two regional Romanian respiratory disease centers during the Alpha and Delta variant outbreaks were included in the analysis. RESULTS Cough and shortness of breath were the most common clinical features; older patients exhibited more fatigue and dyspnea and fewer upper airway-related symptoms such as smell loss or sore throat. The presence of confusion, shortness of breath and age over 60 years were significantly associated with worse outcomes (odds ratios 5.73, 2.08 and 3.29, respectively). CONCLUSION The clinical picture on admission may have a prognostic role for moderate forms of COVID-19. Clear clinical definitions and developing adequate informational infrastructure allowing complex data sharing and analysis might be useful for fast research response should a similar outbreak occur in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antigona Carmen Trofor
- Discipline of Pneumology, III-rd Medical Department, Faculty of Medicine, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, Romania
| | - Andrei Tudor Cernomaz
- Discipline of Pneumology, III-rd Medical Department, Faculty of Medicine, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, Romania
| | - Lucia Maria Lotrean
- Discipline of Hygiene, Department of Community Medicine, "Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj, Romania
| | - Radu Adrian Crișan-Dabija
- Discipline of Pneumology, III-rd Medical Department, Faculty of Medicine, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, Romania
| | - Jose L Penalvo
- Unit of Non-Communicable Diseases, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Oana Elena Melinte
- Discipline of Pneumology, III-rd Medical Department, Faculty of Medicine, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, Romania
| | - Daniela Robu Popa
- Discipline of Pneumology, III-rd Medical Department, Faculty of Medicine, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, Romania
| | - Milena Adina Man
- Discipline of Pneumology, Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, "Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj, Romania
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Radu-Loghin C, Mocanu K, Al Gouhmani H, Vardavas C, Lagou I, Plyta Z, Papathanasaki A, Vogiatzidaki S, Vardavas A, Tzatzarakis M, Tsatsakis A, Filippidis F, Kyriakos C, Fernandez E, Tigova O, Martinez C, Luque AML, Eremia M, Lotrean LM, Trofor A, Wenzl T, Simpson B, Powell P, Starchenko P, Bakou A, Asimaki E, Vivilaki V. EUREST-RISE: An innovative networking and training project on European Tobacco Control. Tob Prev Cessat 2023; 9:12. [PMID: 37101785 PMCID: PMC10123401 DOI: 10.18332/tpc/163137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Karina Mocanu
- European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hani Al Gouhmani
- European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Ioanna Lagou
- School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Zinovia Plyta
- School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Esteve Fernandez
- Catalan Institute of Oncology, Spain
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Spain
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER of Respiratory Diseases, Spain
| | - Olena Tigova
- Catalan Institute of Oncology, Spain
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Spain
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER of Respiratory Diseases, Spain
| | - Cristina Martinez
- Catalan Institute of Oncology, Spain
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Spain
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER of Respiratory Diseases, Spain
| | - Anna Mar Lopez Luque
- Catalan Institute of Oncology, Spain
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Spain
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Pop AI, Mirel S, Florea M, Lotrean LM. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Research and Volunteering Activities among Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study among Romanian and International Students from One Medical Faculty from Romania. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:ijerph19127477. [PMID: 35742726 PMCID: PMC9223600 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19127477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: This study focuses on the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical students in their last year of study at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. It analyzes the impact of social distance limits on the conduct of research activities required for the development of the graduation thesis, as well as assesses sixth-year students’ attitudes and behaviors toward volunteer activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in June–July 2021 among sixth-year students. It used an anonymous online questionnaire and was sent to all students from the Faculty of Medicine studying in the Romanian, English, or French sections (n = 606). The response rate was 38.28%, resulting in a final sample of 232 students from both Romanian and international sections. Results: The findings demonstrate that two-thirds of the students in the survey agreed that the COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial impact on their research. Some of the students had to choose another subject for their graduation thesis, while about a quarter of the students gave up collecting personal data, 25% of respondents stated that it was difficult to contact research participants, one-third of them linked the difficulty of doing activities at the hospital to the present outbreak, and almost 30% of the students had difficulty communicating with the coordinator. The disturbance of the research activity seems to be higher among international students in comparison with the Romanian students, while there are limited gender differences. One out of five medical students has been involved in volunteer activities during the pandemic. Most have opted to volunteer at hospitals (especially international students) and contribute to health education activities (especially women). Conclusions: This is the first study from Romania and one of the few from Europe that presents data regarding the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on research and volunteering activities among medical students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreea Iulia Pop
- Discipline of Hygiene, Department of Community Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Correspondence: (A.I.P.); (S.M.)
| | - Simona Mirel
- Discipline of Medical Devices, Department 4 Pharmacy, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Correspondence: (A.I.P.); (S.M.)
| | - Mira Florea
- Discipline of Family Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Lucia Maria Lotrean
- Discipline of Hygiene, Department of Community Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
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Peñalvo JL, Mertens E, Ademović E, Akgun S, Baltazar AL, Buonfrate D, Čoklo M, Devleesschauwer B, Diaz Valencia PA, Fernandes JC, Gómez EJ, Hynds P, Kabir Z, Klein J, Kostoulas P, Llanos Jiménez L, Lotrean LM, Majdan M, Menasalvas E, Nguewa P, Oh IH, O'Sullivan G, Pereira DM, Reina Ortiz M, Riva S, Soriano G, Soriano JB, Spilki F, Tamang ME, Trofor AC, Vaillant M, Van Ierssel S, Vuković J, Castellano JM. Unravelling data for rapid evidence-based response to COVID-19: a summary of the unCoVer protocol. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e055630. [PMID: 34794999 PMCID: PMC8602928 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION unCoVer-Unravelling data for rapid evidence-based response to COVID-19-is a Horizon 2020-funded network of 29 partners from 18 countries capable of collecting and using real-world data (RWD) derived from the response and provision of care to patients with COVID-19 by health systems across Europe and elsewhere. unCoVer aims to exploit the full potential of this information to rapidly address clinical and epidemiological research questions arising from the evolving pandemic. METHODS AND ANALYSIS From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, partners are gathering RWD from electronic health records currently including information from over 22 000 hospitalised patients with COVID-19, and national surveillance and screening data, and registries with over 1 900 000 COVID-19 cases across Europe, with continuous updates. These heterogeneous datasets will be described, harmonised and integrated into a multi-user data repository operated through Opal-DataSHIELD, an interoperable open-source server application. Federated data analyses, without sharing or disclosing any individual-level data, will be performed with the objective to reveal patients' baseline characteristics, biomarkers, determinants of COVID-19 prognosis, safety and effectiveness of treatments, and potential strategies against COVID-19, as well as epidemiological patterns. These analyses will complement evidence from efficacy/safety clinical trials, where vulnerable, more complex/heterogeneous populations and those most at risk of severe COVID-19 are often excluded. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION After strict ethical considerations, databases will be available through a federated data analysis platform that allows processing of available COVID-19 RWD without disclosing identification information to analysts and limiting output to data aggregates. Dissemination of unCoVer's activities will be related to the access and use of dissimilar RWD, as well as the results generated by the pooled analyses. Dissemination will include training and educational activities, scientific publications and conference communications.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L Peñalvo
- Unit of Non-Communicable Diseases, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Elly Mertens
- Unit of Non-Communicable Diseases, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Enisa Ademović
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Seval Akgun
- Public Health Department, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ana Lúcia Baltazar
- Scientific-Pedagogical Unit of Dietetics and Nutrition, Coimbra Health School, Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Dora Buonfrate
- Department of Infectious Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Ospedale Sacro Cuore Don Calabria, Negrar, Italy
| | - Miran Čoklo
- Centre for Applied Bioanthropology, Institut za antropologiju, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Brecht Devleesschauwer
- Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Ghent University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | | | - João C Fernandes
- Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina (CBQF), Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto, Portugal
| | - Enrique Javier Gómez
- Center for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Engineering and Telemedicine Centre, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - Paul Hynds
- Environmental Sustainability and Health Institute, Technological University Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Zubair Kabir
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Jörn Klein
- Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Kongsberg, Norway
| | | | - Lucía Llanos Jiménez
- Clinical Research Unit, Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria de la Fundacion Jimenez Diaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucia Maria Lotrean
- Faculty of Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Marek Majdan
- Institute for Global Health and Epidemiology, Trnava University in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Ernestina Menasalvas
- Biomedical Engineering and Telemedicine Centre, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Paul Nguewa
- Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - In-Hwan Oh
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea (the Republic of)
| | | | - David M Pereira
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Laboratório de Farmacognosia, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Miguel Reina Ortiz
- College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Silvia Riva
- Department of Psichology and Pedagogic Science, St Mary's University Twickenham, Twickenham, UK
| | - Gloria Soriano
- Unit of Non-Communicable Diseases, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Joan B Soriano
- Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
- COVID-19 Clinical Management Team, WHO Health Emergency Programme, World Health Organization HQ, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Antigona Carmen Trofor
- Clinical Hospital of Pulmonary Diseases Iasi, Clinical Hospital of Pulmonary Diseases Iasi, Iasi, Romania
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy Grigore T. Popa Iasi, Iasi, Romania
| | - Michel Vaillant
- Translational Medicine Operations Hub, Competence Centre for Methodology and Statistics, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Strassen, Luxembourg
| | - Sabrina Van Ierssel
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium
| | - Jakov Vuković
- Croatian Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - José M Castellano
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario HM Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Spain
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Fundación de Investigación HM Hospitales, Madrid, Spain
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Lotrean LM, Florea M, Lencu C. Lifestyle and Cancer Prevention-Opinions and Behaviors Among Romanian University Students. Int J Gen Med 2021; 14:1525-1532. [PMID: 33935514 PMCID: PMC8079252 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s303094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Healthy lifestyle promotion represents an important component of cancer prevention. The aim of this study is the assessment of opinions and behavior related to healthy lifestyle and cancer prevention among Romanian university students. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed by anonymous questionnaires in 2017 among 400 university students from the four main universities from Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Results One out of five students was overweight or obese, but 83% meet the recommendations for performing physical activity. The majority did not meet the recommendations of eating 400 g of fruits and vegetables daily, while almost half declared eating more than 500 g of red meat weekly and more than one third do not respect the recommendations for alcohol consumption. The factor analysis reveals two factors with regard to cancer prevention-related behaviors. The first one consists of those having an appropriate body weight, and having a higher tendency for consumption of fruits and vegetables, performing physical activity, while being more prone not to respect the recommendations regarding the alcohol consumption. The second factor refers to a higher tendency to respect both the recommendations for alcohol and red meat consumption. Conclusion Future educational activities should focus on promoting better nutritional habits, decrease alcohol consumption and offer appropriate services for weight management among Romanian university students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Maria Lotrean
- Faculty of Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Mira Florea
- Faculty of Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Codruta Lencu
- Faculty of Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Lotrean LM, Popa I, Florea M, Lazea C, Stanescu AMA, Lencu C. Actual Weight, Perceived Weight and Desired Weight of Romanian School Children by Parents and Children. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 57:medicina57040333. [PMID: 33915949 PMCID: PMC8066543 DOI: 10.3390/medicina57040333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The perception of the body weight by children and parents influences the consequent actions undertaken for children’s body weight management. This study investigated the correspondence between objective evaluations of Romanian school children (actual weight) and perceptions about weight (perceived weight), preoccupation with body weight management (desired weight) and parents’ perceptions on children’s weight. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was performed among 344 children aged 11 to 14 and 147 parents from Cluj-Napoca, Romania. We made anthropometric measurements of children, and short questionnaires were completed by the children and the parents. Results: The results show that 3.8% of children were underweight, 68.3% had a normal weight and 27.9% were overweight. Of this sample, 61.5% of underweight children, 20% of normal weight children and 43.7% of overweight children had misperceptions about their weight. The percentage of parents who did not estimate their children’s weight correctly was 50%, 11.9% and 41.5%, respectively, for each of the three weight groups. The results of the logistic regression analyses showed that several factors were associated with the misclassification of their own body weight by the children, such as body mass index, gender, weight management practices, misclassification by the parents as well as parent–child discussions on these issues. Conclusions: Education for both Romanian parents and children is needed with regard to correctly identifying and managing children’ body weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Maria Lotrean
- Department of Community Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Ioana Popa
- Dietician, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Mira Florea
- Family Medicine Department, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Correspondence: or
| | - Cecilia Lazea
- Department Pediatrics I, Emergency Pediatric Hospital, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | | | - Codruta Lencu
- Department of Endocrinology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
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Lotrean LM, Man M, Gavrilescu C, Florea M. Electronic Cigarette Use and Its Relationship with Smoking and Alcohol and Illicit Drug Consumption among Romanian University Students. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 57:medicina57020137. [PMID: 33557228 PMCID: PMC7913983 DOI: 10.3390/medicina57020137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background and objectives: This study assesses electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use and its relationship with smoking and alcohol and illicit drug consumption among Romanian university students. Materials and methods: A cross sectional study using anonymous questionnaire was performed in 2017 among 400 university students from Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Results: 95.5% of the participants had heard about e-cigarettes and 43.7% of these had tried e-cigarettes during their lifetime, while 8.9% declared using cigarettes in the previous month (one out of five students who had tried them during their lifetime). Half of the students had smoked during their lifetime and one third had smoked in the previous month. Eighty-five percent of participants had experimented alcohol intoxication during their lifetime and 45% had done so in the previous month, while illicit drug use during their lifetime and the previous month was 34% and 9.5%, respectively. The results of the linear regression analyses show a positive correlation between e-cigarette use, smoking, experimentation with alcohol intoxication, and the use of illicit drugs. Conclusions: Future studies as well as educational activities should address the complex relationship between e-cigarette and other substance use among Romanian youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Maria Lotrean
- Department of Community Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (L.M.L.); (M.F.)
| | - Milena Man
- Department of Medical Specialties, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Cristina Gavrilescu
- First Medical Department, Gr. T. Popa, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
- Correspondence:
| | - Mira Florea
- Department of Community Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (L.M.L.); (M.F.)
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Maria Lotrean L, Trofor A, Radu-Loghin C, Eremia M, Mihaltan F, Driezen P, Kyriakos CN, Mons U, Demjén T, Fernández E, Katsaounou PA, Przewoźniak K, Filippidis FT, Gravely S, Fong GT, Vardavas CI. Awareness and use of heated tobacco products among adult smokers in six European countries: findings from the EUREST-PLUS ITC Europe Surveys. Eur J Public Health 2020; 30:iii78-iii83. [PMID: 32918826 PMCID: PMC7526786 DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckz228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The study assessed awareness and use of heated tobacco products (HTPs) and factors that influenced these issues among cigarette smokers from six European countries in 2016 (Wave 1) and 2018 (Wave 2). METHODS A survey was conducted among a nationally representative sample of cigarette smokers aged 18 years or older from Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Spain in 2016 (N = 6011) and 2018 (N = 6027; 53% of smokers from the previous wave were retained, regardless of smoking status and dropouts were replaced by a replenishment sample of smokers). Data were collected through face-to-face interviews. Estimates were produced using weighted data. The study presents the cross-sectional results. RESULTS Awareness of HTPs increased from 8% to 17% between the two waves. At Wave 1, 1.1% of the smokers declared having used HTPs at least once during their lifetime; and at Wave 2, this increased to 1.9% (around 1% or less in four countries, except for Greece and Romania where it was around 4%). Factors associated with HTPs use among those who had ever heard about these products at Wave 1 were country of residence, being a daily cigarette smoker and ever use of electronic cigarettes. At Wave 2, ever use of HTPs was significantly higher among those who had tried to quit smoking combustible cigarettes in the last 12 months, had tried electronic cigarettes during lifetime and perceived HTPs as less dangerous than combustible cigarettes; the country of residence was also associated with HTPs use. CONCLUSION This study offers insights into the behaviours and perceptions of European adult smokers regarding HTPs, an important emerging issue in the field of tobacco control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Maria Lotrean
- Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- AerPur Romania, Bucuresti, Romania
| | - Antigona Trofor
- AerPur Romania, Bucuresti, Romania
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Grigore T.Popa”, Iasi, Romania
| | | | | | - Florin Mihaltan
- AerPur Romania, Bucuresti, Romania
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davilla”, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Pete Driezen
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
- Department of School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Christina N Kyriakos
- European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention, Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece
| | - Ute Mons
- Cancer Prevention Unit and WHO Collaborating Centre for Tobacco Control, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Germany
| | | | - Esteve Fernández
- Tobacco Control Unit, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona), Catalonia, Spain
- Tobacco Control Research Group, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bellvitge Campus, Universitat de Barcelona, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Respiratory Diseases (CIBER en Enfermedades Respiratorias, CIBERES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Paraskevi A Katsaounou
- Center for Health Services Research, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- First ICU Evaggelismos Hospital Athens, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Krzysztof Przewoźniak
- Health Promotion Foundation, Warsaw, Poland
- Maria Skłodowska Curie Institute, Oncology Center, Warsaw, Poland
- Collegium Civitas, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Filippos T Filippidis
- Center for Health Services Research, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Shannon Gravely
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Geoffrey T Fong
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
- Department of School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Constantine I Vardavas
- European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention, Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece
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Lotrean LM, Ursu D, Florea M, Lencu C. Lifestyle and cardiovascular health: opinions and behaviors among adults having relatives with cardiovascular diseases. HSRM 2020. [DOI: 10.26659/pm3.2020.21.1.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Ionescu L, Ursache L, Nicolae A, Conea A, Potora C, Stan O, Lotrean LM. Health education for deaf Romanian children: parents’ opinions. HE 2019. [DOI: 10.1108/he-02-2019-0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to focus on parents of children with hearing disabilities from Romania and has three objectives. First, it assesses their characteristics regarding use of communication technology. Second, it investigates their opinions regarding the importance of school-based education for healthy lifestyle promotion among their children. Third, it evaluates the availability for their involvement in educational activities using face-to-face approach and communication technology dedicated to helping parents to promote healthy lifestyle among their children, as well as factors which influence this availability.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was performed in October–November 2015 in two schools deserving children with hearing disabilities from North-West part of Romania. Anonymous questionnaire were filled in by 182 parents.
Findings
The majority of parents recognize the importance of school-based health education and more than 77 per cent totally agree that it should include issues regarding healthy nutrition, promotion of physical activity and smoking prevention. In total, 80.2 per cent of the parents declared that they are interested to participate in educational activities organized periodically at school and 66.5 per cent declared their interest in educational activities developed through communication technology in order to help them to stimulate the adoption of healthy lifestyle among their children. The availability was influenced by residence, educational level, understanding the importance of parents’ involvement, characteristics regarding the use of communication technology.
Originality/value
This represents the first study from Romania investigating the opinions and availability for their involvement with regard to school health education among parents of children with hearing deficiencies. The results have several implications for health education among children with hearing deficiencies and their parents.
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Owolabi MO, Yaria JO, Daivadanam M, Makanjuola AI, Parker G, Oldenburg B, Vedanthan R, Norris S, Oguntoye AR, Osundina MA, Herasme O, Lakoh S, Ogunjimi LO, Abraham SE, Olowoyo P, Jenkins C, Feng W, Bayona H, Mohan S, Joshi R, Webster R, Kengne AP, Trofor A, Lotrean LM, Praveen D, Zafra-Tanaka JH, Lazo-Porras M, Bobrow K, Riddell MA, Makrilakis K, Manios Y, Ovbiagele B. Gaps in Guidelines for the Management of Diabetes in Low- and Middle-Income Versus High-Income Countries-A Systematic Review. Diabetes Care 2018; 41:1097-1105. [PMID: 29678866 PMCID: PMC5911785 DOI: 10.2337/dc17-1795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The extent to which diabetes (DM) practice guidelines, often based on evidence from high-income countries (HIC), can be implemented to improve outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is a critical challenge. We carried out a systematic review to compare type 2 DM guidelines in individual LMIC versus HIC over the past decade to identify aspects that could be improved to facilitate implementation. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Eligible guidelines were sought from online databases and websites of diabetes associations and ministries of health. Type 2 DM guidelines published between 2006 and 2016 with accessible full publications were included. Each of the 54 eligible guidelines was assessed for compliance with the Institute of Medicine (IOM) standards, coverage of the cardiovascular quadrangle (epidemiologic surveillance, prevention, acute care, and rehabilitation), translatability, and its target audiences. RESULTS Most LMIC guidelines were inadequate in terms of applicability, clarity, and dissemination plan as well as socioeconomic and ethical-legal contextualization. LMIC guidelines targeted mainly health care providers, with only a few including patients (7%), payers (11%), and policy makers (18%) as their target audiences. Compared with HIC guidelines, the spectrum of DM clinical care addressed by LMIC guidelines was narrow. Most guidelines from the LMIC complied with less than half of the IOM standards, with 12% of the LMIC guidelines satisfying at least four IOM criteria as opposed to 60% of the HIC guidelines (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS A new approach to the contextualization, content development, and delivery of LMIC guidelines is needed to improve outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Meena Daivadanam
- Department of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | | | | | | | | | - Shane Norris
- University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Wuwei Feng
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Hernán Bayona
- Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá Hospital, University of the Andes, Bogota, Colombia
| | | | - Rohina Joshi
- The George Institute for Global Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ruth Webster
- The George Institute for Global Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Andre P Kengne
- South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Antigona Trofor
- Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iaşi, Romania
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Trofor AC, Papadakis S, Vardavas CI, Lotrean LM, Gavrilescu CM, Evangelopoulou V, Peleki T, Trofor L, Behrakis PK. Impact of the Tobacco Treatment Guidelines for High Risk Groups (TOB.g): A pilot study among physicians specializing in CVD, Diabetes and COPD. Tob Prev Cessat 2018; 4:13. [PMID: 32411841 PMCID: PMC7205041 DOI: 10.18332/tpc/87090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The 2017 Tobacco Cessation Guidelines for High-risk Groups (TOB-G) is a comprehensive document on best practices for smoking cessation in clinical practice. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess physician satisfaction and changes in tobacco-related knowledge, self-efficacy and attitudes following exposure to training in the TOB-G guidelines for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or diabetes. METHODS A pre-post pilot study was conducted. All participating physicians received an electronic or printed copy of the TOB-G guidelines for patients with CVD, COPD or diabetes. Physicians were also exposed to a one-day training focused on the key clinical practice recommendations from the TOB.g guidelines. Outcome measurement occurred via survey before, immediately following and 6 months after exposure to the training. RESULTS Fifty physicians participated in the TOB.g training session. High rates of participant satisfaction were documented (exceeded expectations 47.7%; met expectations to a great extent 52.3%). Significant increases in physician knowledge and self-efficacy were documented immediately following and 6 months after exposure to the guideline training session. Exposure to the training was associated with positive changes in some but not all tobacco-related treatment attitudes, however these were no longer significant at the 6-month follow-up. Lower knowledge, confidence and unfavourable attitudes were documented for aspects of treatment related to pharmacotherapy. CONCLUSIONS Positive changes in previously reported barriers to the delivery of tobacco treatment among physicians were documented following exposure to the TOB.g guidelines and training for patients with CVD, COPD or diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sophia Papadakis
- Division of Prevention and Rehabilitation, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Constantine I Vardavas
- Institute of Public Health, American College of Greece, Athens, Greece
- George D. Behrakis Research Lab, Hellenic Cancer Society, Athens, Greece
- Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Athens, Greece
| | | | | | - Vaso Evangelopoulou
- George D. Behrakis Research Lab, Hellenic Cancer Society, Athens, Greece
- Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Athens, Greece
| | - Theodosia Peleki
- George D. Behrakis Research Lab, Hellenic Cancer Society, Athens, Greece
| | - Letitia Trofor
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy Grigore T. Popa, Iasi, Romania
| | - Panagiotis K Behrakis
- Institute of Public Health, American College of Greece, Athens, Greece
- George D. Behrakis Research Lab, Hellenic Cancer Society, Athens, Greece
- Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Athens, Greece
- Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), Athens, Greece
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Eremia M, Radu-Loghin C, Lotrean LM. The role of non-governmental organizations in tobacco control in Romania. Tob Induc Dis 2018. [DOI: 10.18332/tid/84242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Vigu AL, Stanciu D, Lotrean LM, Campian RS. Complex interrelations between self-reported oral health attitudes and behaviors, the oral health status, and oral health-related quality of life. Patient Prefer Adherence 2018; 12:539-549. [PMID: 29695896 PMCID: PMC5905524 DOI: 10.2147/ppa.s159621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to develop and test a moderated mediation model that was able to describe the relationships between oral health-related attitudes and behaviors, oral health status (OHS), and oral health-related quality of life. The hypothesized relations corresponded to research questions such as "is a person's oral health predicted by the actions that person takes in order to prevent oral health conditions?" and "do individuals with better oral health also have higher levels of oral health-related quality of life?". MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional correlational study with selected predictor variables was conducted in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, among 191 participants, enrolled in the fourth and sixth years of study at the Dentistry School of the Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Cluj-Napoca. Participants completed the Hiroshima University Dental Behavior Inventory (HUDBI) questionnaire targeting specific behavior and attitude with respect to their dental self-care, Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) short questionnaire for measuring oral health-related quality of life, and the current OHS was assessed objectively using Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth/Surfaces (DMFT) index. Statistical analyses were done using structural equation modeling software. RESULTS Our research showed relevant associations between HUDBI, DMFT, and OHIP. The relationship between HUDBI and OHIP was mediated by DMFT. Furthermore, HUDBI worked as a moderator between DMFT and OHIP. Thus, our study revealed a case for moderated mediation, which is usually ignored in similar research. CONCLUSION The "straightforward" causality between oral health-related behavior and the actual OHS must be considered with caution, as well as their impact on the oral health-related quality of life. Further research is needed to investigate the interaction between variables, the strength of the interrelations and the magnitude of their interactions, and the confidence that can be placed in these measurements, with respect to the general population and/or those lacking domain-specific education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Lucia Vigu
- Department of Dental Materials and Ergonomics, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy
| | - Dorin Stanciu
- Department of Psychology and Pedagogy, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca
- Correspondence: Dorin Stanciu, Department of Psychology and Pedagogy, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 15 Constantin Daicoviciu Street, Tower Building, Room 205, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Tel +40 7 5108 6089, Fax +40 264 40 1348, Email
| | - Lucia Maria Lotrean
- Department of Community Medicine, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy
| | - Radu Septimiu Campian
- Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Health and Management, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Trifescu I, Stan O, Lotrean LM. Differences regarding health risk behaviours between sport club participants and non-participants among Romanian high school students - Review. Balneo 2017. [DOI: 10.12680/balneo.2017.155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Lotrean LM, Radu Loghin C, de Vries H. Smoking prevention among Romanian school students with hearing deficiencies from Romania. Tob Prev Cessat 2017. [DOI: 10.18332/tpc/70738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Pascal OI, Trofor AC, Lotrean LM, Filipeanu D, Trofor L. Depression, anxiety and panic disorders in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: correlations with tobacco use, disease severity and quality of life. Tob Induc Dis 2017; 15:23. [PMID: 28405181 PMCID: PMC5384158 DOI: 10.1186/s12971-017-0128-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The objective of this study is to assess anxiety, depression and panic disorders among patients diagnosed with COPD and to investigate their correlation with disease severity, quality of life as well as tobacco use. Methods An observational study was performed between January and September 2014 among 60 patients diagnosed with COPD. COPD staging according to GOLD criteria, while anxiety and depression were assessed using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and panic attacks were evaluated based on ICD 10 criteria. Results Almost 40% of the sample were smokers, the medium packs-years was 34.3 and the medium Fagerstrom score was 7.5. Overall, mean Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (mMRC) was 2.86, mean COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score was 21.75 and study participants had 1.93 COPD exacerbations/year. Mean distribution of anxiety and depression symptoms scores among COPD subjects was 10.65 ± 3.5 and 9.93 ± 3.8, respectively. Smokers and ex-smokers had similar scores with regard to anxiety, depression or the presence of panic attacks. The results of the bivariate correlations indicated associations between anxiety, depression, panic attacks and disease severity, as well as poor quality of life of patients with COPD, regardless of their current tobacco use status. Conclusions In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that anxiety, depression and panic attacks were constant characteristics among COPD patients- regardless of their current tobacco use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oana Irinel Pascal
- "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iasi, No 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Antigona Carmen Trofor
- "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iasi, No 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Lucia Maria Lotrean
- "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, No 8 Victor Babeş Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Dumitru Filipeanu
- "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University Iasi, No 67 Profesor Dimitrie Mangeron Street, 700050 Iași, Romania
| | - Letitia Trofor
- "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iasi, No 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
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Lotrean LM, Santillan EA, Thrasher J, Laza V. An Increasing Trend of Illicit Drug use among Romanian University Students from 1999 to 2011. Zdr Varst 2016; 55:53-8. [PMID: 27647089 PMCID: PMC4820182 DOI: 10.1515/sjph-2016-0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM The present study investigates the evolution of illicit drug use among Romanian university students from 1999 to 2011. METHODS The study was performed in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in three phases: in 1999 (T1), in 2003 (T2) and in 2011 (T3). The study was carried out by means of anonymous questionnaires among university students aged 19-24. RESULTS The results show that among girls the lifetime illicit drugs use increased statistically significantly from 2.5% in 1999 to 7.5% in 2003 and to 15% in 2011. Among boys the trend was also increasing, the prevalence of illicit drug use was 14.2% at T1, 18.1% at T2, and it increased dramatically to 30.6% at T3. The percentage of students reporting cannabis use was almost identical with the total prevalence of illicit drug use. Ecstasy was the second most frequent drug used by the students; its consumption had also an increasing trend during the examined periods (from 0 to 5.6% among girls and from 0.8% to 11.2% among boys). The results of the bivariate correlation analyses show that lifetime illicit drug use was associated with having friends who experimented with illicit drugs both among boys and girls. Moreover, girls who declared stress management problems and depressive episodes were more likely to try illicit drugs, while among boys illicit drug use was associated with poorer academic performance. CONCLUSIONS The data pointed out by our study call for comprehensive actions regarding the prevention of illicit drug use among Romanian young people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Maria Lotrean
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca Hygiene, Pasteur 6, 400340 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Edna Arillo Santillan
- National Institute of Public Health, Av. Universidad #655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahuacatitlán, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - James Thrasher
- University of South Carolina, 800 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Valeria Laza
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca Hygiene, Pasteur 6, 400340 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Lotrean LM, Dascal CB. 1002 Training and involvement of medical students from romania in the field of injury prevention and safety promotion. Inj Prev 2016. [DOI: 10.1136/injuryprev-2016-042156.1002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Lotrean LM, Varga B, Popa M, Loghin CR, Man MA, Trofor A. Opinions and practices regarding electronic cigarette use among Romanian high school students. Gac Sanit 2016; 30:366-9. [PMID: 27349501 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2016.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 04/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The study assessed awareness, opinions, practices regarding electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and factors associated with their use among Romanian high school students. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013 in two major Romanian cities, distributing anonymous questionnaires to 342 high school students aged 16-18. RESULTS 52.3% of the smokers, 29.2% of the ex-smokers and 7% of the never-smokers had tried e-cigarettes at least once in their life; 7.8% of the smokers and 4.6% of the ex-smokers had used e-cigarettes in the last month. Among smokers, e-cigarette use was associated with lower participation in school health education regarding e-cigarettes and with having parents using e-cigarettes.. Among ex-smokers and never-smokers, e-cigarette use was associated with intention to use e-cigarettes in the next year and with having friends who use e-cigarettes. CONCLUSION Health education programmes and regulatory interventions addressing e-cigarettes are needed in Romania. More research is necessary on how to develop effective public health messages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bianca Varga
- Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Monica Popa
- Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | | | - Milena Adina Man
- Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Antigona Trofor
- Gr.T.Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
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Lotrean LM, Karaki Y, del Valle MO. Dietary patterns, involvement in physical activity and body mass index of Romanian adults having cardio-vascular diseases. Balneo 2016. [DOI: 10.12680/balneo.2016.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Lotrean LM. Smoking prevention among youth: do we need educational programs? Tob Prev Cessat 2016. [DOI: 10.18332/tpc/62435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Lotrean LM, Ailoaiei R, Popa M, de Vries H. Knowledge regarding early detection of cancer among romanian women having relatives with cancer. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2015; 16:1091-5. [PMID: 25735337 DOI: 10.7314/apjcp.2015.16.3.1091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancers can be detected in early stages through awareness of suspicious symptoms or by specific actions undertaken by individuals or participation in medical checks or screening programmes. The present research had three objectives: to assess the knowledge of Romanian women who have relatives with cancer with regard to cancer symptoms and detection methods; to identify socio-demographics factors influencing their level of knowledge; provide information regarding the attitudes of women from the study regarding medical help-seeking in case of any symptom which might be associated with cancer. This cross-sectional study was performed in an oncological hospital from Cluj-Napoca, Romania. It involved 160 women aged 18-70 years, who had relatives with cancer. An anonymous questionnaire was filled in by the participants. The results showed that around 10% of the study sample recognized all the 8 listed symptoms associated with cancer and all the 7 listed methods for cancer detection. The results of the linear regression analyses show that the level of knowledge regarding both symptoms and methods for detection was higher among younger women (B=-0.390, p<0.01, respectively B=-0.260; p<0.01), among those living in urban areas (B=0.872, p<0.01, respectively B=0.676; p<0.01) and those having higher educational level (B=0.883, p<0.001, respectively B=0.536; p<0.001). The majority of the participants agreed with the importance of looking for medical help within weeks up to one month in case that a symptom which might be associated with cancer was observed. The study underlines the necessity that much more information should be given to women who have relatives with cancer about what they can do to detect cancer in an early stage. This is especially needed for older women, women living in rural areas and women having a lower educational level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Maria Lotrean
- Department of Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania E-mail :
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Lotrean LM, Tutui I. Individual and familial factors associated with fruit and vegetable intake among 11- to 14-year-old Romanian school children. Health Soc Care Community 2015; 23:541-549. [PMID: 25323566 DOI: 10.1111/hsc.12166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The healthy nutrition guidelines proposed by international research institutes and the World Health Organization recommend a daily intake of fruit and vegetables of at least 400 g, representing five servings a day (each serving contains around 80 g). Moreover, the recommendations stress the importance of consuming both fruit and vegetables daily, preferably at least two portions of fruit and three portions of vegetables per day. To efficiently develop interventions for promoting fruit and vegetable consumption among children, it is essential to identify and understand the factors that influence these behaviours. The present study aims at identifying the individual and familial factors which influence fruit and vegetable consumption among Romanian children. A cross-sectional survey by means of anonymous questionnaires was conducted among 361 school children, aged 11-14, from Cluj-Napoca, Romania (April-May 2011). Multiple linear regression analyses were used to assess the correlates of fruit and vegetable intake. The results show that 44.6% of the children met the recommendations regarding fruit intake, while 9.1% of the children declared eating the daily recommended portions of vegetables. Knowledge regarding the recommended number of daily servings and higher self-efficacy concerning the intake of fruit and vegetables every day were positively associated with higher consumption of fruit and vegetables. Fruit preference also influenced positively the consumption of fruit. The familial factor associated with vegetable intake was the perceived behaviour of the mother, while fruit intake was higher among children who declared higher fruit availability at home. Hence, it is necessary to develop in Romania nutrition interventions addressing the determinants of fruit and vegetable intake as identified by this study; these interventions should target both children and parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Maria Lotrean
- Department of Hygiene, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Nutricenter, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Abstract
This study aimed to assess body features, and alimentary and lifestyle behavior related to cancer prevention among Romanian adults having relatives with cancer. The study was performed in 2010/2011 in an oncological hospital in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. It involved 320 adults who had relatives with cancer. An anonymous questionnaire was filled in by each participants; their weights and heights were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated, 56.6% of the participants having a value higher than 24.9. Almost all subjects ate less than 400 g of fruits and vegetables daily and 56% of the participants consumed more than 500 g of red meat weekly. One quarter of the study sample was performing less than 30 minutes of moderate physical activity daily. Some 28.1% of the subjects were smokers. These data call for comprehensive actions to help Romanian cancer patient relatives to respect the recommendations regarding healthy lifestyle promotion and cancer prevention. Health professionals should periodically assess body composition and lifestyle components of adults who have relatives with cancer in order to identify unhealthy behavior and offer them personalized education and counseling.
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Lotrean LM, Ailoaiei R, Popa M, de Vries H. Process evaluation of the first computer tailored program for smoking cessation among Romanian smokers. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2014; 15:8809-14. [PMID: 25374212 DOI: 10.7314/apjcp.2014.15.20.8809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to present the implementation and process evaluation of the first computer tailored program for smoking cessation among Romanian smokers. The program targeted adult smokers who declared the intention to quit smoking in the next six months. The intervention consisted of a letter tailored to several respondent characteristics: gender, cognitive variables (attitude, social influence, and self-efficacy), intention to quit smoking, goal and relapse prevention strategies (action and coping plans), and smoking behaviour. The first 80 participants entered into the program filled in a process evaluation questionnaire one month after the intervention. The results of our study confirmed that the participants had read and remembered the letter. Moreover, new for Romania, this approach was positively appreciated by the participant and the score received for the tailored letter was high. The opinions of the participants confirmed that the tailored letter provided information that was useful, trustworthy and relevant for the individual. At the same time, the participants appreciated the polite, easy to understand content of the letter. These data underlined the premises for continuing the program and for using the information and communication technologies for healthy lifestyle promotion among Romanian population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Maria Lotrean
- Department of Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania E-mail :
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Abstract
This study had two objectives. The first was to assess the frequency and content of school-based anti-smoking education received by Romanian adolescents aged 14-15. Secondly, the study aimed to evaluate to what extent the implementation of a specific 5 lessons smoking prevention program influences the quality of anti-smoking school education among Romanian adolescents. The investigation was performed in twenty schools from Cluj- Napoca, Romania, which were randomly assigned to the control and experimental conditions, resulting in 55 participating classes from the seventh grade (28 in the control group and 27 in the experimental group). The experimental group participated in a school-based smoking prevention program consisting of 5 lessons. The control group beneficiated only in the standard anti-smoking education offered by their schools. Six months after the program implementation, students from both experimental and control groups filled in a questionnaire, assessing several issues regarding their exposure to anti-smoking school education in the last year. The results showed a low exposure to anti-smoking school education among the Romanian adolescents. The implementation of the specific school-based smoking prevention program increased the exposure of Romanian adolescents to a higher number of lessons of smoking prevention and influenced positively the quality of these lessons. The study identified several gaps with respect to anti-smoking education in Romanian schools. It underlines the benefits of the implementation of a school based smoking prevention program with a clear structure, which contains appropriate educational messages and it is easy to implement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Maria Lotrean
- Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania E-mail :
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescence is a crucial period in the development of smoking behaviour. To develop efficient prevention programmes for teenagers, it is essential to understand why adolescents start to smoke. The objective of this study was to assess the predictors of smoking onset among Romanian junior high school students aged 13-14. METHODS The data were obtained from a two-wave, 9-month longitudinal study carried out among 504 junior high school non-smokers from Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Questionnaires assessed smoking behaviour, attitudes, social influence, self-efficacy and intention regarding smoking (motivational variables), as well as different sociodemographic features. RESULTS The results from the logistic regression analysis revealed that baseline lower self-efficacy in refraining from smoking in several social situations, baseline pressures from peers to smoke and baseline intentions to smoke significantly increased the risk of non-smokers to become smokers at follow-up 9 months later. CONCLUSIONS These findings underline that reinforcing social self-efficacy to refuse smoking, resisting peer pressures and maintaining negative intentions regarding smoking are essential ingredients for smoking prevention programmes among Romanian junior high school students.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M Lotrean
- Department of Environmental Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Lotrean LM, Trofor A, Mihălţan F, Santillan EA. School-based smoking prevention programmes: ethical aspects. Pneumologia 2011; 60:107-110. [PMID: 21823364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
School-based health education has the potential to inform and educate young people, in order to promote healthy behaviours among them, which will help to prevent diseases and social problems. The present study gives an overview of several ethical issues which must be considered in different phases of school-based smoking prevention programs. This will help health educators, public health professionals and researchers in their activity of health education in schools. The ethical issues must be taken into consideration during all the activities and refer to the involvement of officials, schools, parents, young people who participate into the program, authors and persons/institutions responsible with the implementation, evaluation or funding of the programs. The application into practice of these ethical principles, influence the quality of the health education, its acceptability BY the target group and the correctness of results. Also, it prevents possible problems and misunderstandings between persons and institutions involved in the health education and smoking prevention process, which could seriously affect and even destroy implementation of such health education activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Maria Lotrean
- Department of Hygiene, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
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Lotrean LM, Dijk F, Mesters I, Ionut C, De Vries H. Evaluation of a peer-led smoking prevention programme for Romanian adolescents. Health Educ Res 2010; 25:803-814. [PMID: 20601383 DOI: 10.1093/her/cyq034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to assess the effects of a school-based smoking prevention programme that used both a video and peer-led discussion groups among Romanian junior high school students aged 13-14 years. The programme embraced the social influence approach and concentrated on enhancing self-efficacy and the acquisition of cigarette refusal skills. Twenty schools were randomly assigned to the control and experimental conditions, resulting in 55 participating classes from the seventh grade (28 in the control group and 27 in the experimental group). Pretest and 9 months follow-up data on weekly smoking initiation and psychosocial variables were collected from 1071 students. Multilevel logistic regression analyses demonstrated a significant effect of the programme on adolescents' smoking behaviour after 9 months. At post-test, weekly smoking onset was 4.5% in the experimental group versus 9.5% in the control group. Furthermore, the programme had significant effects on smoking-related beliefs. In the experimental group, this resulted in a more negative attitude towards smoking, increased social self-efficacy levels and a more negative intention towards smoking. These findings show that short-term effects of the smoking prevention programme can be realized in Romania. More studies are needed to analyse how to maintain these effects over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M Lotrean
- Department of Environmental Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Pasteur Street, 3600 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
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Lotrean LM, Laza V, Ionut C, de Vries H. Assessment of health risk behaviours and their interrelationships among young people from two counties of Romania. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 18:403-411. [PMID: 21124646 PMCID: PMC2967258 DOI: 10.1007/s10389-010-0317-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2009] [Accepted: 01/18/2010] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Aim The first goal of this study was to assess the prevalence of different health risk behaviours among Romanian young people. Next, the interrelationship between different health risk behaviours as well as age and gender differences with respect to health risk behaviours were examined. Subjects and methods Self-administered questionnaires were completed by a sample of 1,598 junior high school students, senior high school students and university students from urban and rural areas of two counties of Romania. Results The results showed that 31% of junior high school students, 59.7% of senior high school students and 64.8% of university students reported more than one risk behaviour. Many of the risk behaviours were likely to correlate with each other and the strongest correlation was found between smoking, alcohol-related behaviour and precocious sexual intercourse. Factor analysis revealed that among junior high school students all health risk behaviours loaded on one factor. In senior high school students and university students the risk behaviours split into two factors, based probably on their frequency and severity. Factor 1 comprised smoking, alcohol-related behaviours as well as precocious sexual intercourse, while factor 2 included less common behaviours: violence, delinquency and illicit drug use. No gender differences were observed regarding the relationship between health risk behaviours. Conclusion The results stress the importance of developing prevention programmes among Romanian youth for the behaviours discussed. Further research is needed to identify how to best offer these programmes: as stand-alone programmes or as an integrated set of programmes and whether the same approach has to be taken for younger and older adolescents.
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Lotrean LM. Effects of comprehensive smoke-free legislation in Europe. Salud pública Méx 2008; 50 Suppl 3:S292-8. [DOI: 10.1590/s0036-36342008000900005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2008] [Accepted: 04/28/2008] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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Lotrean LM, Sánchez-Zamorano LM, Valdés-Salgado R, Arillo-Santillán E, Allen B, Hernández-Avila M, Lazcano-Ponce E. Consumption of higher numbers of cigarettes in Mexican youth: the importance of social permissiveness of smoking. Addict Behav 2005; 30:1035-41. [PMID: 15893101 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2004.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
This study sought to assess the relationship between level of cigarette smoking and social factors indicating permissiveness of smoking among youth. This was a school-based cross-sectional questionnaire study carried out in a random sample of students (n=13,293, 11-24 years) at public schools in Morelos, Mexico. Chi2 test and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate correlates of level of smoking (> or < or = 5 cigarettes/day). There is a rising trend in smoking among Mexican in-school youth, a tendency towards smoking initiation at increasingly younger ages and a decrease in the gender gap regarding smoking. When young people smoked at home, at school and outside, they were over fives times as likely to smoke >5 cigarettes/day. Prevention of smoking among Mexican adolescents should emphasize smoke-free schools, no smoking policies in the community and parental anti-tobacco education.
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