Addictive behaviors
-
Addictive behaviors · Apr 2013
Multicenter StudyLevel of cigarette consumption and quit behavior in a population of low-intensity smokers--longitudinal results from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) survey in Mexico.
Mexican smokers are more likely to be non-daily smokers and to consume fewer cigarettes per day than smokers in other countries. Little is known about their quit behaviors. ⋯ Mexican adult smokers who are non-daily smokers were more likely than daily heavy smokers to have attempted to quit during follow-up and to succeed in their quit attempt. Future research should determine whether tobacco control policies and programs potentiate this tendency and which interventions are needed to help heavier smokers to quit.
-
Addictive behaviors · Apr 2013
Comparative StudyRisky drinking in the older population: a comparison of Florida to the rest of the US.
While alcohol use has traditionally been thought to decrease with age, several recent studies have shown an increase in heavy drinking among retirees. Florida's unique population distribution that includes a higher proportion of elderly residents warrants an in-depth look at the drinking patterns in the elderly and how they may differ from those in other areas of the country. However, state-level comparisons of excessive alcohol consumption are limited. ⋯ Excessive alcohol consumption is an important modifiable risk factor for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and liver disease; a reduction among the elderly has great potential to reduce disease burden. Although Floridians overall were less likely to be risky drinkers than the rest of the US, almost a third of the Florida population reported this behavior. It is, therefore, an important public health concern, particularly in Florida's older population who are more likely to engage in this behavior than their counterparts in the rest of the US.