Abstract
Introduction: Greece is the European Union country with the highest rate of tobacco consumption (more than 40%).Enforcement of laws forbidding consumption of tobacco products, combined with public awareness of the adverse effects of smoking, result in the need for efficient smoking cessation centers.
Aims: The aim of the present study is to demonstrate special characterictics of smokers addressing to the smoking cessation center of Evangelismos hospital, in Athens Greece, including dependence, motivation profile, special characteristics such as depression profile and pulmonary function testing values.
Methods: Three hundred (300) smokers of mean age of 48.47±11.42 years, smoking 38.97±22,87 packyears participated in Evangelismos Hospital smoking cessation program during the last two years. A thorough medical history was obtained focusing on dependence and motivation for quitting.Pulmonary function testing, including spirometry was performed in all individuals.Statistical analysis was performed using the non parametric test for sign values.
Results: Men smoke more than women (47.52±26.61 vs 35,33±22.05).One the other hand Greek women present more motivated to quit smoking than men (16,26±11.32 vs 10.08±12.08).In addition pulmonary function testing reveals high percentage of abnormalities cuased by smoking,such as small airway disease. Abandoning the cessation program is significantly ralated (p<0.05) with a depressive profile of the participant.
Conclusions: Smoking cessation programs reveal interesting profiles of the Greek population, concerning the smoking habit,pulmonary function teting abnormalities and factors related to abandoning a smoking cessation program.
- © 2011 ERS