👤 Hanna Kara-Perz

In Poland approximately 33% adults are active smokers. Both active smoking and passive exposition to tobacco smoke leads to serious diseases and causes many other problems. This is why the decrease of smoking prevalence seems to be one of the most important targets of contemporary medicine. In this task the attitude of medical staff plays a great role (prevention, education, behaviour of a medical employee as a positive example). The research was carried out among 48 employees of Regional Station of Ambulance Service in Poznan (16 physicians, 19 medical rescuers and 13 nurses). The group comprised 21 women and 27 men. The investigative tool was a questionnaire concerning smoking, passive exposition to tobacco smoke and attitude of the examined persons towards smoking. We found that smoking prevalence in the investigated group considerably exceeds the average values for Polish population (particularly the number of smoking women) whereas passive exposition to tobacco smoke affects everyone in this group. In the opinion of the examined people the main factors inducing and maintaining tobacco smoking are: addiction, pleasure connected with smoking or influence of someone's company. In a case of medical personnel tobacco smoking (similarly to other behaviours which are harmful for someone's health) weakens the authority of a health care provider as an example of health promotion. Show less

Prevalence of tobacco smoking among young people is one of the most important aspects in prevention of smoking and smoking-related diseases. The aim of this study was assessment of pharmacy students' exposition to tobacco smoke (active and passive smoking) and searching for circumstances promoting tobacco smoking and exposition to ETS (environmental tobacco smoke). In the examined cohort of 161 students we found 37 smokers (23%; 21.2% women and 31% men), among them 14 (8.7%) everyday smokers. ETS affected 155 persons (96.3%) and usually took place in a circle of friends. The most common factors promoting tobacco smoking were: pleasure connected with smoking, smoking as a support in stress situation or as a facilitation of society functioning and getting to know new friends. We must emphasize again the leading role of prevention of smoking initiation in young people in all preventive activities. Show less

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) means the sudden death of an infant which is unexpected by history and in which an examination of the death scene and a thorough postmortem examination fails to reveal an adequate cause of death. Etiology of this syndrome is unknown but many risk factors were identified; the most important and preventable risk factors are prone sleeping position and influence of tobacco smoke (both smoking by pregnant woman and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) near child's bed). The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of smoking among women (also during pregnancy) and exposure of neonates and infants to ETS, to establish what circumstances are likely to make smoking woman stop smoking and to examine women's knowledge concerning risk factors of SIDS (mainly influence of tobacco smoke). The study comprised 61 women, aged 24 to 47, among them 35 nurses and 26 women without any medical education. The average percentage of smoking women was near 25% but among nurses was up to 30%. The prevalence of smoking during pregnancy was 6%. We identified high risk of ETS influence among both women and their children. The most important cause of smoking cessation was pregnancy. Among arguments for smoking cessation the risk of SIDS takes an important place. Women's knowledge about risk factors of SIDS (among them influence of tobacco smoke) and activity of physicians and midwifes to educate women as for this risk factors are unsatisfactory. Show less