Rural Remote Health
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Rural Remote Health · Jun 2018
Prevalence and determinants of smoking and secondhand smoke exposure in a rural population of central Greece: a cross-sectional study.
Smoking is one of the most important risk factors for heart and lung disease and is responsible for many forms of cancer. The resulting morbidity and mortality weigh heavily upon countries with high prevalence, such as Greece. According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) Greece, 38.2% of Greeks aged ≥15 years, namely 51.2% of men and 25.7% of women, are smokers. Smoking is also common among the young and people of high education. Despite laws prohibiting smoking at indoor places, exposure to environmental tobacco is very high both in private and public places. The study goal was to estimate the prevalence and characteristics of smoking, the level of tobacco exposure and the factors that affect both in a rural population. ⋯ There are very few studies studying the characteristics of smoking and tobacco exposure exclusively in rural populations in Greece, such as the present study. Both the high prevalence of smoking and the high levels of exposure to tobacco show a population at increased risk for tobacco-related disease. These call for immediate action to reduce smoking prevalence, help smokers quit and protect the health of non-smokers. The present study's conclusions provide the basis for designing local prevention programs and the baseline for monitoring of future trends in the area.