Browsing by Author "Bonito, J"
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- Estado actual e evolução da epidemia tabágica: em Portugal e na EuropaPublication . Precioso, J; Calheiros, JM; Pereira, D; Campos, H; Antunes, H; Rebelo, L; Bonito, JTobacco smoking is the cause of more than half million deaths/year in the European Union (EU). Monitoring smoking prevalence is an important tool to evaluate the epidemic and its evolution and to assess the effectiveness of preventive measures. The comparison between countries may help us identify good control practices. OBJECTIVE: To describe the current state and evolution of the smoking epidemic in several EU countries, and to characterize the Portuguese situation in comparison with those countries. METHODS: To characterize smoking habits and their evolution in the population over 15 years old, several Eurobarometer reports from 1995 to 2007 were used. The characterization of School Aged Children's smoking habits was based on the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children data of 1993-4 and 2002. The Portuguese situation also used the information available from the National Health Surveys of 1987 up to 2005/06. RESULTS: The global prevalence of smoking in adult population in most of the European countries is over 25%. The average prevalence of male and female smokers in School-Aged Children over 15 years of age is approximately 18% if we consider both genders together. In most countries the prevalence of tobacco consumption is higher in girls when compared to boys. In Portugal, the prevalence in the population over 15 years of age has one of the lowest values among European countries (30,6 % for men and 11,6% for women). Despite these crude prevalence rates, high age-sex-specific prevalence rates were found in age groups 25-34 and 35-44 in men (39,9% e 44,6% respectively) and in women (17,6 e 21,2% respectively). In 2002, at the age of 15, the percentage of daily smoking girls in Portugal was 19.5%. This value reveals that Portugal is among the countries with higher prevalence rates of smoking among adolescent girls. Over the last decade (1996-2006), a decrease in tobacco consumption has been observed in most EU countries, both in adult population and in School-Aged Children. In Portugal, this consumption has levelled off in adult men and in youngsters aged 15, but shows a significant increase in female adults and school-aged girls. CONCLUSIONS: Although Portugal presents low global prevalence rates in the European context, the substantial increases observed in the young adult female population are of particular concern because of its impact on women's health and the risk of pre and post-natal associated childhood exposure. These results reveal that current preventive strategies in Portugal are ineffective in reducing smoking prevalence among children and young adults.
- Exposição das crianças ao fumo ambiental do tabaco em casa e no carroPublication . Precioso, J; Araújo; Machado, J; Samorinha, C; Calheiros, J; Becoña, E; Ravara, S; Vitória, P; Rosas, M; Bonito, J; Antunes, H
- Smoke-free homes programme : past, present and futurePublication . Precioso, J; Calheiros, J; Samorinha, C; Antunes, H; Machado, JE; Macedo, M; Bonito, J; Vitória, P; Ravara, SChildhood exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) is associated with serious health problems. Despite the recognised severity of childhood exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), several studies show high prevalence of exposed children in the world and also in Portugal. In order to protect children of this serious health hazard an ETS type preventive programme, “Smoke free-homes”, was developed and tested in Portugal. Its main purpose is to increase the number of parents who do not smoke and / or to reinforce the norm of not allowing smoking at home and in the car, enabling “participant students” to proactively promote parents’ behaviour change and effectively reduce or avoid ETS home exposure. This is a school based programme, to be applied in the classroom by teachers. A exposição das crianças ao Fumo Ambiental do Tabaco (FAT) está associada a graves problemas de saúde. Apesar da evidência científica sobre a gravidade da exposição das crianças ao FAT, muitos estudos mostram que existe uma elevada percentagem de crianças expostas ao FAT no Mundo (aproximadamente 50%) e também em Portugal (40% segundo alguns estudos realizados). Com o objectivo de proteger as crianças desta agressão, foi desenhado em Portugal o programa de prevenção denominado “Domicílios Livres de Fumo”. A sua principal finalidade é aumentar a prevalência de pais e mães que não fumam (e/ou não permitam que se fume) em casa e no carro. O programa foi desenhado para ser aplicado nas salas de aulas, pelos professores.