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Biomedical subjects

R Ferrence

Publications and source records attributed to R Ferrence.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Dimensions underlying legislator support for tobacco control policies.

OBJECTIVE: To propose and test a new classification system for characterising legislator support for various tobacco control policies. DESIGN: Cross sectional study. SUBJECTS: Federal and provincial legislators in Canada serving as of October 1996 who participated in the Canadian Legislator Study (n = 553; response rate 54%). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A three factor model (Voters, Tobacco industry, Other interest groups) that assigns nine tobacco control policies according to legislators' hypothesised perceptions of which group is more directly affected by these policies. RESULTS: Based on confirmatory factor analysis, the proposed model had an acceptable fit and showed construct validity. Multivariate analysis indicated that three of the predictors (believing that the government has a role in health promotion, being a non-smoker, and knowledge that there are more tobacco than alcohol caused deaths) were associated with all three factor scales. Several variables were associated with two of the three scales. Some were unique to each scale. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our analyses, legislator support for tobacco control policies can be grouped according to our a priori factor model. The information gained from this work can help advocates understand how legislators think about different types of tobacco control policies. This could lead to the development of more effective advocacy strategies.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2001

Diffusion theory and drug use.

This paper examines the applicability of the diffusion model to drug use. A variety of studies that employ the diffusion model to examine drug-related behaviour, including the use of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs, are discussed. Studies include those that focus on "natural" or spontaneous diffusion and those in which diffusion of a drug or a drug-related intervention is planned. Most studies examined support the application of the diffusion model in the study of drug use. The model is particularly valuable when new substances are introduced to a population or subgroup. The addition of economic and other forms of availability as a determinant of adoption would increase the power of the model. Recommended directions for research are outlined. The diffusion model has been used successfully in the study of drug use for several decades. More rigorous designs would strengthen this type of research and provide direction for policymakers and those involved in public health and education.

Diffusion of Innovation↗
PubMed2001

Is nicotine dependence related to smokers' support for restrictions on smoking?

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between nicotine dependence and attitudes, predicted behaviours and support regarding restrictions on smoking. DESIGN: Population-based, computer-assisted, telephone survey of adults in Ontario, Canada using a two-stage stratified sampling design; 1764 interviews were completed (65% response rate) yielding 424 (24%) cigarette smokers, of whom 354 (83%) smoked daily. The Heaviness of Smoking Index was used as a measure of nicotine dependence. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Attitudes toward smoking restrictions, predicted compliance with more restrictions, and support for total smoking bans. RESULTS: Attitudes favorable to smoking restrictions tended to decrease with increased nicotine dependence, but the associations were not statistically significant after adjusting for demographic variables. Predicted compliance with more restrictions on smoking decreased with higher levels of dependence, as did support for a total ban on smoking in restaurants, workplaces, bingo halls, and hockey arenas. Support for smoking bans in food courts, family fast food restaurants, and bars and taverns did not vary significantly with level of nicotine dependence. CONCLUSIONS: Level of nicotine dependence is associated with intended behaviors and support for smoking restrictions in some settings. These results have implications for tobacco control programs and policies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Gender differences in alcohol consumption and adverse drinking consequences: cross-cultural patterns.

AIMS: To examine the consistency and/or variability of gender differences in drinking behavior cross-culturally. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: Women's and men's responses in 16 general population surveys from 10 countries, analyzed by members of the International Research Group on Gender and Alcohol. MEASUREMENTS: Comparable measures of drinking, versus abstention, typical drinking frequencies and quantities, heavy episodic drinking, intoxication, morning drinking, and alcohol-related family and occupational problems. FINDINGS: Women and men differed little in the probability of currently drinking versus abstaining, but men consistently exceeded women in typical drinking frequencies and quantities and in rates of heavy drinking episodes and adverse drinking consequences, while women were consistently more likely than men to be life-time abstainers. In older age groups, both men and women drank smaller quantities of alcohol and were more likely to stop drinking altogether, but drinking frequencies did not change consistently with age. CONCLUSIONS: A theoretical synthesis proposes that gender roles may amplify biological differences in reactions to alcohol, and that gender differences in drinking behavior may be modified by macrosocial factors that modify gender role contrasts.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Heterogeneity among smokers and non-smokers in attitudes and behaviour regarding smoking and smoking restrictions.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if smokers and non-smokers cluster into meaningful, discrete subgroups with distinguishable attitudes and behaviours regarding smoking and smoking restrictions. DESIGN: Qualitative research with 45 smokers guided development of questionnaire items applied in a population based telephone survey of 432 current smokers and 1332 non-smokers in Ontario, Canada. METHODS: Cluster analysis of questionnaire items used to categorise adult smokers and non-smokers; comparison of clusters on sociodemographic characteristics and composite knowledge and attitude scores. RESULTS: Smokers clustered in three groups. "Reluctant" smokers (16%) show more concern about other people discovering that they smoke, but parallel "easygoing" smokers (42%) in supporting restrictions on smoking and not smoking around others. "Adamant" smokers (42%) feel restrictions have gone too far, and are less likely to accommodate non-smokers. Significant gradients across categories in the expected direction were observed with respect to smoking status, stage of change, knowledge, and attitude scores, and predicted compliance with restrictions, validating the proposed typology. Non-smokers also clustered into three groups, of which the "adamant" non-smokers (45%) are the least favourably disposed to smoking. "Unempowered" non-smokers (34%) also oppose smoking, but tend not to act on it. "Laissez-faire" non-smokers (21%) are less opposed to smoking in both attitude and behaviour. A significant gradient across categories in the expected direction was observed with respect to composite scores regarding knowledge of the health effects of active and passive smoking and a composite score on support for restrictions on smoking in public places. CONCLUSION: Recognition and consideration of the types of smokers and non-smokers in the population and their distinguishing characteristics could inform the development of tobacco control policies and programmes and suggest strategies to assist implementation.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Commentary. monitoring tobacco use in canada: the need for a surveillance strategy.

Smoking behaviour has been monitored nationally through population surveys for 35 years in Canada, but these surveys have not been as consistent or rigorous as the magnitude of the smoking problem demands. Inconsistent methods and irregular survey intervals are just two of the characteristics that have made it difficult to know exactly how smoking is changing. Further, an absence of routine data on tobacco control policies (other than the price of cigarettes) has hampered understanding of the determinants of changing prevalence. The advent of two survey series--Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey (CTUMS) and Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) promises to change this situation for the better. We suggest that both are critical elements of a national smoking surveillance system and that, with a commitment to CTUMS in particular, Health Canada could set a new international standard for surveillance.

Canada↗
PubMed1998

Reducing children's exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in homes: issues and strategies.

It is now well established that children's exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) results in substantial public health and economic impacts. Children are more likely than adults to suffer health effects from ETS exposure, and the home is the most important site of such exposure. Although the responsibility and authority of the community and health professionals to protect children from harm are entrenched in North American society, social, economic, legal, and political factors contribute to a lower level of support for ETS control measures in homes compared with workplaces and public places. It is now clear that ETS control in home environments must be a priority on the public health agenda. Programme and policy options and strategies for ETS control in home environments are outlined. We conclude that the current research base is inadequate to fully support programme and policy development in this area and priorities for research are identified.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Smoking in the home: changing attitudes and current practices.

OBJECTIVES: Trends in attitudes and current practices concerning smoking in the home were examined. METHODS: Data from population-based surveys of adults in Ontario, Canada, were analyzed. RESULTS: Between 1992 and 1996, the percentage of respondents who agreed that parents spending time at home with small children should not smoke increased from 51% to 70%. In 1996, 34% of the homes surveyed were smoke-free. Smoke-free homes were associated with nonsmoking respondents and with the presence of children and no daily smokers in the home. Only 20% of homes with children and any daily smokers were smoke-free. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts are needed to assist parents in reducing children's exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in the home.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Short report. How provincial and territorial legislators view tobacco and tobacco control: findings from a Canadian study.

We report on legislators' attitudes and experiences regarding tobacco and tobacco control using findings from a 1996/97 telephone survey of provincial and territorial legislators in Canada. Across all jurisdictions, legislators showed support for a number of tobacco control policies and for a major government role in implementing programs and policies to discourage youth from smoking. Further, substantial numbers of legislators indicated they did not have enough tobacco-related contact with medical and non-profit health organizations. These findings can guide the activities of health agencies, researchers and advocates in support of effective strategies to reduce the public health impact of tobacco use in Canada.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1997

Moderate drinking and health. Implications of recent evidence.

OBJECTIVE: To address three questions (Is moderate drinking good for health? Should people drink to prevent heart disease? What is moderate drinking?) and to examine and compare two recent Canadian guidelines on low-risk drinking in the context of counseling patients. DATA SOURCES: English-language data sources were searched, particularly peer-reviewed health and social science literature and recent expert reports. STUDY SELECTION: Studies and reports were selected for their scientific merit and direct relevance to the three questions addressed and to the formulation of guidelines on low-risk drinking. SYNTHESIS: While moderate drinking might protect some older people against coronary heart disease, it is associated with increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke, certain cancers, accidents and injuries, and a range of social problems. For most health outcomes, risk increases as consumption of alcohol increases. CONCLUSIONS: While the data have limitations, they provide a basis for formulating guidelines on low-risk drinking. The two Canadian guidelines, one developed from the perspective of health recovery, the other from the perspective of health promotion, complement each other in the context of counseling patients.

Accidents↗
PubMed1996

On the emerging paradigm of drinking patterns and their social and health consequences.

Recent epidemiological and social studies have increasingly pointed to the importance of drinking patterns in explaining consequences of alcohol consumption. This paper presents recommendations for research in the area based on the presentations and discussions of the first "International Conference on Social and Health Effects of Different Drinking Patterns" held in Toronto in November 1995. In particular, the social dimension in pattern research, and the relationship between patterns of drinking and casualties as well as social harm, are stressed. The paper also argues for better theories, incorporating knowledge from related basic disciplines. In addition, we emphasize the need for improved methodologies and standardized methods for assessing drinking patterns. Finally, implications of research on drinking patterns for policy and programme development are discussed.

Alcohol Drinking↗