Attitudes and Parameters Influencing the Smoking Epidemic in Greece: What is Important?

Abstract

Introduction/Aims: Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable death and ill health in the developed world. The present study investigated the association between socio-demographic, and attitudinal factors with smoking initiation, and cessation in Greece, and gained an insight pertaining the main source of information about smoking. The research hypothesis that smoking is continued, because of ensuing dependence, and stopped, following doctors’ warnings of possible nearing onset for serious illness development was also tested. Materials/Methods: Internet-based survey in people belonging to the AKOS anti-cancer institute registry. Chi-squared, t-test and ANOVA investigated the relations, or compared the differences between categorical variables. Multiple binary logistic-regression models investigated the relation of selected result variables with potential predictor factors. Results/Conclusion: 1618 adults participated, yielding a response rate of 83.3%. Smokers, ex-, and non-smokers differed in age, and sector of employment. There was a gender effect in several factors pertaining smoking initiation/duration/cessation efforts. Discontinuation efforts were more likely in systematic smokers (OR = 1.473) and were positively associated with smoking duration (OR = 1.025), emotional distress as the primary reason for smoking initiation (OR = 2.165), anti-smoking campaign through television (OR = 1.637), and keynote lectures (OR = 2.307). Younger age of smoking initiation (OR = .939), and a reprimanding attitude towards smokers (OR = .472) negatively influenced cessation efforts.