Heated tobacco products (HTP) are a form of nicotine delivery intended to be an alternative to traditional cigarettes. HTP tobacco products are sold to consumers as a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes, both for users and bystanders. The actual impact of HTP on the health of users and its overall impact on public health is still not fully known. A systematic search of the literature was carried out to identify relevant studies published in English from 2015 to February 2021. The following databases were used: PubMed, Scopus, Elsevier and ClinicalKey. 25 studies (independent and sponsored by the tobacco industry) were considered. The analysis of exposure biomarkers and cardiovascular and respiratory biomarkers showed differences between smokers and people using heated tobacco products. Improvements in clinically relevant risk markers, especially cholesterol, sICAM-1, 8-epi-PGF2α, 11-DTX-B2, HDL and FEV1, were observed compared to persistent cigarette smokers. On the other hand, exposure to IQOS has been reported to alter mitochondrial function, which may further exaggerate airway inflammation, airway remodeling and lung cancer. These products have the potential to increase oxidative stress and increase respiratory tract infections by increasing microbial adherence to the respiratory tract. Our review suggests that HTP products may be products with a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and cancer compared to traditional smoking, although in the case of non-smokers so far, they may pose a risk of their occurrence. Research seems to be necessary to assess the frequency of HTP use and its potential negative health effects.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are an alternative to traditional tobacco cigarette smoking. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use among university students from Central and Eastern Europe and to investigate personal characteristics associated with cigarette and e-cigarette smoking. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey was performed between 2017–2018 among university students in five European countries: Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Slovakia. The questionnaire included 46 questions related to the frequency and habits of traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes use. Completed questionnaires were obtained from 14,352 students (8800 medical; aged 20.9 ± 2.4 years) with an overall response rate of 72.2%. Two-thirds of the respondents had smoked a traditional tobacco cigarette and 43.7% had used an e-cigarette. Overall current smoking status included 12.3% traditional cigarette smokers, 1.1% e-cigarette users, and 1.8% were dual users with the remainder being non-smokers. Smoking status differed between the research centres (p < 0.001). Females were less likely to try either cigarettes (OR = 0.83) or e-cigarettes (OR = 0.62) and were less likely to be current cigarette (OR = 0.64), e-cigarette (OR = 0.34), or dual users (OR = 0.33) than males. Perception of e-cigarettes significantly differed between smokers and non-smokers (p < 0.001). Among university students, cigarettes are more popular than e-cigarettes.

Recently more attention has been focused on the impact of physical activity on modification of self-perceived heath status in adults. The objective of the study was to evaluate the level of occupational and non-occupational physical activities and their correlation with self-perceived heath status among economically productive individuals. Physical activity of the subjects studied was evaluated by the Seven Day Physical Activity Recall (SDPAR) questionnaire among randomly chosen residents of the city of Lódź (n = 598, including 299 women and 299 men). The examination of the subjective health assessment was conducted based on the analogue visual scale. The multifactorial logistic regression analysis indicated that weekly energy expenditure on occupational physical activity (kcal/week) did not play a significant role in self-perception of health status among men or women. Neither did the outcome of the study provide evidence for the significant effect of housework load on self-perceived health status among the study participants. However, a sufficient level of leisure-time physical activity in a beneficial way affects health-related self-perception of the examined subjects. In the group of men expending 1000 kcal/week or more on leisure-time physical activity, the risk for poor health-related self-report was significantly lower than among men declaring no energy expenditure on this activity (adjusted odds ratio (OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.13-0.66). Among females not taking up any recreational physical activity, the risk of low self-perceived health status was also higher than in females reaching a satisfactory level of recreational physical activity (adjusted OR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.17-0.87). Preventive programs aimed at improving subjective health assessment through the increased leisure-time physical activity should be addressed to all economically productive individuals and particularly to people of older age groups and above all to females.

The aim of this study was to evaluate subjective health status of ??d? adult population and to determine the factors affecting their self-perception of health. The study population consisted of randomly selected 1,056 adults aged 20-74 years f...

Background: Tobacco use among young people still remains a major public health problem. Thus, the aim of this study was to perform a cross-country comparison for the factors associated with susceptibility to tobacco use among youth from five central and eastern European countries. Methods: The data used in the current analysis, focusing on youth (aged 11–17 years), who have never tried or experimented with cigarette smoking, was available from the recent Global Youth Tobacco Survey (Czech Republic (2016), n = 1997; Slovakia (2016), n = 1998; Slovenia (2017), n = 1765; Romania (2017), n = 3718; Lithuania (2018), n = 1305). Simple, multiple logistic regression analyses and random-effect meta-analysis were conducted to identify factors associated with tobacco use susceptibility as the lack of a firm commitment not to smoke. Results: Nearly a quarter of the students were susceptible to tobacco use in 4 of 5 countries. The following factors were identified, consistently across countries, as correlates of tobacco use susceptibility: exposure to passive smoking in public places (AOR from 1.3; p = 0.05 in Slovakia to 1.6; p < 0.01 in Czech Republic and Romania), peers smoking status (AOR from 1.8 p < 0.01 in Slovakia to 2.5; p < 0.01 Lithuania), opinion that smoking helped people feel more comfortable at celebrations (AOR from 1.3; p = 0.01 in Czech Republic to 1.9; p < 0.01 in Lithuania), noticing people using tobacco in mass media (AOR 1.5; p < 0.01 in Slovenia and 1.6; p < 0.01 in Lithuania), lack of knowledge on harmful effects of passive smoking (AOR 1.8; p < 0.01 in Slovakia and 2.4; p < 0.01 in Slovenia), lack of antismoking education provided by school (AOR 1.3; p < 0.05 in Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia; 1.9; p < 0.01 in Lithuania), and family (AOR 1.5; p < 0.01 in Slovenia and Romania). Moreover those who believed that smoking makes young people look less attractive (AOR from 0.5; p < 0.01 in Romania to 0.7; p = 0.05 in Lithuania) and that people who smoke have less friends (AOR 0.7; p ≤ 0.06) turned out to be less susceptible to tobacco use initiation. In Czech Republic and Slovenia significantly higher susceptibility to tobacco use was observed among females as compared to males (AOR 1.4; p < 0.01), whereas in Romania opposite pattern, although not significant, was observed (p = 0.3). Having more money available for own expenses, positively correlated with smoking suitability in all countries (AOR > 1.5; p < 0.01) except Lithuania where youth with more money available tend to be less susceptible to tobacco use (p > 0.05). Youth who share the opinion that people who smoke have more friends were more susceptible to smoking in Romania (AOR 1.4; p = 0.04) but tend to be less susceptible in other countries. Exposure to advertisements at points of sale was significant correlate of tobacco use susceptibility in Slovakia and Slovenia (AOR 1.4 and 1.5 respectively; p < 0.05), with moderate heterogeneity between the countries. Conclusions: A high proportion of youth from central and eastern European countries was susceptible to tobacco use. Social factors, and those related to educational and policy issues as well as to attitudes regarding tobacco use were strongly, and consistently across countries, correlated with tobacco use susceptibility. Slight differences in susceptibility to tobacco use between the countries were related to: sex, money available for own expenses, exposure to advertisements at points of sale and opinion that people who smoke have more friends. These factors should be considered when designing and implementing anti-tobacco activities among young people.

In many countries around the world, negative changes in lifestyles are observed. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of selected lifestyle indicators on work ability among professionally active individuals. The study was performed in the randomly selected group of full-time employees (94 men and 93 women) living in the city of Lódź. Work ability was measured with the work ability index and lifestyle characteristic was assessed with the healthy lifestyle index. We analyzed four lifestyle indicators: non-smoking, healthy weight, fiber intake per day, and regular physical activity. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals to control the effects of lifestyle and work ability. The analysis of lifestyle index indicated that 27.7, 30.9, 27.7 and 11.7% of men and 15.1, 21.5, 35.5 and 26.9% of women scored 0, 1, 2, 3 points, respectively. Only 2.1% of men and 1.1% of women met the criteria for the healthy lifestyle (score 4). Work ability was excellent, good and moderate in 38.3, 46.8 and 14.9% of men, and in 39.8, 14.9 and 19.3% of women, respectively. Poor work ability was found in 9.7% women. Work ability was strongly associated with lifestyle in both men and women. Among men with index score = 0, the risk of moderate work ability was nearly seven times higher than in men whose lifestyle index score exceeded 1 or more points (OR = 6.67; 95% CI: 1.94-22.90). Among women with lifestyle index score = 0, the risk of moderate or lower work ability was also highly elevated as compared to those with lifestyle index = 1 or higher (OR = 14.44; 95% CI: 3.53-59.04). Prophylactic schedules associated with the improvement of lifestyles should be addressed to all adults. Future programs aimed at increasing work ability should consider work- and lifestyle-related factors.