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Biomedical subjects

J Crofton

Publications and source records attributed to J Crofton.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Smoking habits and attitudes of medical students towards smoking and antismoking campaigns in nine Asian countries. The Tobacco and Health Committee of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases.

As part of a world survey of the habits, knowledge and attitudes of medical students regarding tobacco we report a study in 15 medical schools from nine Asian countries. Some 1646 first year and 1587 final year students were included, of whom 59% were male. The prevalence of daily smoking in males was 4% in first year and 11% in final year; of occasional smoking 18% and 24% respectively, both with considerable variations between countries. The rates were very low in women. Male exsmokers varied from 3% to 24% in different centres. Overall, 33% of smokers had made a serious attempt to quit; 44% expected to have succeeded within 5 years. Over 80% of non- or exsmokers, but only 60% of smokers, thought smoking was harmful to health. There was gross underestimation of tobacco's causal role in a number of important diseases, e.g. coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, emphysema, bladder cancer and neonatal mortality. There were notable defects both in training and in motivation to counsel smoking patients. There was only partial knowledge of legislative and other measures to discourage smoking, e.g. only 44% of final year students (26% of smokers) thought increased taxation an important measure. In knowledge and attitudes there was little difference between the sexes, but in most aspects smokers had notably lower scores.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Anti-smoking policies and practice in Scottish Health Boards: progress 1985-89. Scottish Tobacco Group.

1. The anti-smoking policies in practice of Scottish Health Boards (HBs) were surveyed in 1989, and the results compared to those of a previous survey in 1985. 2. There has been reasonable to good progress in production of a HB policy document; in smoke-free HB committee meetings; in smoke-free public offices, hospital offices, canteens, hospital outpatient areas, community clinics, health centre waiting rooms and offices: in prohibiting sale of cigarettes on NHS premises; in provision of smoking cessation services; in liaison with other organisations; and in initiatives on National No-Smoking Day. 3. On the other hand progress has been poor in providing a smoke-free environment in acute, maternity and longstay wards, and especially poor in hospital ward sitting up areas. There has been disappointingly little progress in the education of nurses and only minor improvement in that for paramedical and lay staff.

Health Education↗
PubMed1989

Smoking habits and attitudes of medical students towards smoking and antismoking campaigns in fourteen European countries.

From an ongoing global international survey we present the results for 14 European countries. The survey was carried out through a WHO-based questionnaire given to the students at the beginning of their first year and during the course of their final year. Daily smokers comprised 13.7% in first year and 21.5% in final year, with an overall variation between 3 and 33% according to country. There were already 16% of ex-smokers among first year students. More than 50% of smokers had made attempts to quit. 60% of daily smokers, and almost all others, thought that they would no longer be smoking in five years time. Knowledge of aetiology was moderate in first year. It later improved but there remained many lacunae in final year, e.g. less than 30% were aware that smoking was a cause of coronary artery disease. There was little knowledge of public health measures for smoking control. Attitudes were greatly influenced by smoking; ex-smokers were similar to non-smokers, with occasional smokers intermediate between these and daily smokers. Only 25% accepted a preventive and educative role in advising patients. As regards smoking, students were concerned with their personal health and with advising patients whom they knew to have smoking-related disease, but in general had little conception of smoking as a public health problem. The differences between countries indicate that both habits and attitudes are social and cultural problems. In most of the centres there seemed to be much room for improvement of medical education in this field.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1988

[French medical students and tobacco].

This is a pilot study by UICTMR on smoking habits in medical students carried out in five countries before a world study is undertaken. Smoking habits are already established for first year medical students and for fifth year medical students of both sexes. Cessation of smoking, however, is common in the young. One smoker in two hopes to stop. Knowledge of the dangers of smoking is reasonably good. However the study shows, above all, that students have not integrated into the medical field the education about and prevention of smoking, and they appear limited in their openness to the broader conceptions of Public Health.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Extent and costs of alcohol problems in employment: a review of British data.

In Britain about 9% of males experience alcohol problems at work. Although heavy drinkers have a higher rate, the majority of work problems occur in light or moderate drinkers as these are more numerous. Some data are given on impairment of skills, hangover rates, alcohol-related accidents and lunchtime drinking. Due to extrapolation from the present limited data, there are great difficulties in calculating economic costs; estimates have varied from pounds 60 million to pounds 2 billion a year. In view of the human and economic costs a number of bodies are now making efforts to encourage alcohol policies in the workplace. Further research is required on many aspects of the problem.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1985

Changes in plasma arginine vasopressin during transition from fetus to newborn following minimal trauma delivery of lambs and goats.

Vasopressin in umbilical arterial and venous blood is high at delivery and may be important in the maintenance of arterial pressure and absorption of lung liquid. We used chronically instrumented near-term fetal lambs and goats to investigate the changes in plasma vasopressin that occur during perinatal cardiovascular transition following cesarean section without labor. Plasma arginine vasopressin was more than 5 times greater 15 min following birth than immediately prior to clamping the umbilicus, and it fell progressively over the ensuing 2-5 h to levels not significantly different from before birth. Fifteen min after delivery, neither arterial pressure, blood gases, nor pH appeared to account for the increase.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

The gathering smoke clouds: a worldwide challenge.

Based on the 1983 WHO Expert Report, Smoking control strategies in developing countries, the problem in these countries is briefly reviewed. Many countries are well on the way to adding a formidable epidemic of smoking related diseases to their already overwhelming health problems. Rational policies of prevention are reasonably well understood. But, just as in developed countries, the difficulty is to get them applied. Doctors in the industrialized world could do much to support their colleagues in the threatened countries. All of us should feel a responsibility towards helping to prevent the tragedy.

Asia, Western↗
PubMed1984

Effect of vertebral, carotid and intravenous infusions of lysine vasopressin on plasma vasopressin and cardiovascular function.

The cardiovascular and vasopressin-releasing effects of vertebral artery, carotid artery and intravenous (i.v.) infusions of lysine vasopressin (150 microU/kg X min) were studied in anesthetized dogs. Vertebral and carotid artery infusions of lysine vasopressin led to similar decreases in cardiac output as i.v. infusions. Heart rate, however, decreased to a greater extent with vertebral and carotid artery infusions of lysine vasopressin than i.v. infusions. There were no changes in either mean arterial blood pressure or the plasma vasopressin concentration. The results indicate that peripheral vasopressin: has a central effect to reduce heart rate; has a peripheral effect on the heart to reduce cardiac output, and probably does not feed back to inhibit its own release.

Animals↗