Drug and alcohol review
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Drug and alcohol review · Jul 2012
The influence of neighbourhood disadvantage on smoking cessation and its contribution to inequalities in smoking status.
Individual smokers from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to quit, which contributes to widening inequalities in smoking. Residents of disadvantaged neighbourhoods are more likely to smoke, and neighbourhood inequalities in smoking may also be widening because of neighbourhood differences in rates of cessation. This study examined the association between neighbourhood disadvantage and smoking cessation and its relationship with neighbourhood inequalities in smoking. ⋯ Fundamentally, social and economic inequalities at the neighbourhood and individual levels cause smoking and cessation inequalities. Reducing these inequalities will require comprehensive, well-funded and targeted tobacco control efforts and equity-based policies that address the social and economic determinants of smoking.
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Drug and alcohol review · Jul 2012
The risk status, screening history and health concerns of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people attending an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service.
Primary health-care services need to maximise prevention activities to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This study determined Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's risk status and screening history for cardiovascular, diabetes and cancer, and identified opportunities for prevention based on patient's health concerns. ⋯ Many patients were at high risk, and were concerned about the health risks they experience. Strategies are needed to help clinic staff identify risks, and maximise prevention activities according to best-practice guidelines, particularly to patients who experience multiple risk factors.