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Biomedical subjects

D Hammond

Publications and source records attributed to D Hammond.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Relationship between constituent labelling and reporting of tar yields among smokers in four countries.

Countries have adopted different approaches to disseminating cigarette tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide (CO) levels to consumers, with some (e.g. EU member states, Canada, Australia, but not the United States) requiring disclosure of results from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) test method on packs. Cross-country comparisons can provide insight into how smokers use yields when information is presented differently. We examined whether smokers in four different countries could recall the tar yield of their brand of cigarettes, using data from the third wave of the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey (ITC-4). Of current smokers in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, 33.6% gave a numeric response when asked to report the tar yield of their brand, whereas 66.4% responded 'I don't know.' American participants (9.2%) were less likely than Canadian (28.0%), UK (36.5%) or Australian (68.2%) smokers to give an answer, even after controlling for sociodemographic and smoking behaviour factors. Constituent labelling policies can affect whether smokers report a tar yield for their cigarette brand. Pack labelling appears to be useful for conveying information about cigarettes to smokers; however, there is an urgent need to develop more meaningful information on toxic constituents of cigarette smoke.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Effectiveness of cigarette warning labels in informing smokers about the risks of smoking: findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey.

BACKGROUND: Health warnings on cigarette packages are among the most common means of communicating the health risks of smoking. However, few studies have evaluated the impact of package warnings on consumer knowledge about tobacco risks. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current study was to use nationally representative samples of adult smokers from the United States (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), Canada (CAN), and Australia (AUS) from the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey (ITC-4) to examine variations in smokers' knowledge about tobacco risks and the impact of package warnings. METHODS: A telephone survey was conducted with 9058 adult smokers from the following countries: USA (n = 2138), UK (n = 2401), CAN (n = 2214) and AUS (n = 2305). Respondents were asked to state whether they believed smoking caused heart disease, stroke, impotence, lung cancer in smokers, and lung cancer in non-smokers. Respondents were also asked whether the following chemicals are found in cigarette smoke: cyanide, arsenic and carbon monoxide. FINDINGS: Smokers in the four countries exhibited significant gaps in their knowledge of the risks of smoking. Smokers who noticed the warnings were significantly more likely to endorse health risks, including lung cancer and heart disease. In each instance where labelling policies differed between countries, smokers living in countries with government mandated warnings reported greater health knowledge. For example, in Canada, where package warnings include information about the risks of impotence, smokers were 2.68 (2.41-2.97) times more likely to agree that smoking causes impotence compared to smokers from the other three countries. CONCLUSION: Smokers are not fully informed about the risks of smoking. Warnings that are graphic, larger, and more comprehensive in content are more effective in communicating the health risks of smoking.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Effects of the 2003 advertising/promotion ban in the United Kingdom on awareness of tobacco marketing: findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey.

BACKGROUND: In February 2003, a comprehensive ban on tobacco promotion came into effect in the United Kingdom, which prohibited tobacco marketing through print and broadcast media, billboards, the internet, direct mail, product placement, promotions, free gifts, coupons and sponsorships. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of the UK's comprehensive ban on tobacco promotion on adult smokers' awareness of tobacco marketing in the UK relative to Canada, the United States and Australia. DESIGN: A total of 6762 adult smokers participated in two waves of a random digit dialled telephone survey across the four countries. Wave 1 was conducted before the UK ban (October-December 2002) and Wave 2 was conducted after the UK ban (May-September 2003). KEY MEASURES: Awareness of a range of forms of tobacco marketing. RESULTS: Levels of tobacco promotion awareness declined significantly among smokers in the UK after implementation of the advertising ban. Declines in awareness were greater in those channels regulated by the new law and change in awareness of tobacco promotions was much greater in the UK than the other three countries not affected by the ban. At least in the short term, there was no evidence that the law resulted in greater exposure to tobacco promotions in the few media channels not covered by the law. Notwithstanding the apparent success of the UK advertising ban and the controls in other countries, 9-22% of smokers in the four countries still reported noticing things that promoted smoking "often or very often" at Wave 2. CONCLUSIONS: The UK policy to ban tobacco advertising and promotion has significantly reduced exposure to pro-tobacco marketing influences. These findings support the effectiveness of comprehensive bans on advertising and promotion, as included in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Prevalence and attributes of roll-your-own smokers in the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey.

BACKGROUND: Roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes are often substantially less expensive than factory made (FM) cigarettes, and appear to be increasing in popularity-perhaps because smokers seek out less expensive options to maintain their nicotine addiction. There is surprisingly little research available on the actual prevalence of RYO cigarette usage, and even less on the attributes of those who smoke RYO cigarettes. OBJECTIVES: This study has two objectives: (1) to compare the prevalence of RYO versus FM cigarette usage among adult smokers in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States; and (2) to compare the attributes of exclusive FM smokers, exclusive RYO smokers, and those who report "mixed" RYO and FM use. DESIGN: The data were collected from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey (ITC-4), a random digit dialed telephone survey of representative samples of over 9046 adult smokers from the following four countries: Australia (n = 2301), Canada (n = 2,206), the UK (n = 2400), and the USA (n = 2,139), surveyed between October and December 2002, and on 6075 smokers followed-up, on average, seven months later. RESULTS: The prevalence of RYO cigarette usage varied widely across the four countries, with a low of 6.7% in the USA, to 28.4% in the UK. Exclusive use of RYO cigarettes was more common in the UK than in the other three countries. The use of RYO cigarettes was associated with having a lower annual income, male sex, younger average age, higher level of nicotine addiction, a stronger belief that RYO tobacco is less harmful compared to other forms of tobacco, and a more positive perception of tobacco use. Prevalence of RYO use was relatively stable within each of the four countries between the baseline and follow-up survey. RYO use was unrelated to quitting activity at follow-up, although mixed RYO users who had made a quit attempt were more likely to relapse than either exclusive FM or exclusive RYO smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of RYO use vary considerably across Australia, Canada, the USA, and the UK. RYO smokers are a heterogeneous group; however, the factors associated with RYO use appear to be the same across the four countries studied.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Socioeconomic and country variations in knowledge of health risks of tobacco smoking and toxic constituents of smoke: results from the 2002 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey.

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic status is strongly associated with smoking prevalence and social class differences contribute substantially to social inequalities in mortality. This research investigated socioeconomic and country variations in smokers' knowledge that smoking causes heart disease, stroke, impotence and lung cancer, that smoke contains cyanide, mercury, arsenic and carbon monoxide, and whether nicotine causes most of the cancer. METHODS: Data were from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey, a cohort survey of over 9000 adult smokers from four countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Data were collected via telephone interviews in 2002. RESULTS: Higher education and income were associated with higher awareness. For example, the odds of knowing that smoking causes heart disease, stroke and lung cancer were respectively 71%, 34% and 83% larger for respondents with high versus low income. The odds of knowing that smoke contains cyanide, mercury, arsenic and carbon monoxide were respectively 66%, 26%, 44% and 108% larger for respondents with a university degree than those with a high school diploma or lower level of education. Results also revealed that awareness of harms of smoking was generally the highest in Canada and the lowest in the UK. CONCLUSIONS: Lower socioeconomic status was associated with lower awareness of the harms of smoking and misunderstanding around nicotine. There is a need to improve knowledge of the dangers of smoking among the disadvantaged segments of the population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Smokers' reactions to reduced ignition propensity cigarettes.

BACKGROUND: On 28 June 2004, New York State (NY) became the first jurisdiction to require cigarettes to meet a reduced ignition propensity (RIP) standard. This law resulted in cigarette manufacturers modifying nearly all of their brands sold in NY. However, the same cigarette brands sold in other states were not modified to meet the RIP standard. OBJECTIVES: This paper examines relationships between the RIP law and smokers' awareness of changes in the performance of their cigarettes (that is, going out more frequently, change in taste), and smoking behaviour. METHODS: Data for this analysis come from a nationwide survey of 2088 adult smokers (> 18 years of age) conducted in the USA between July and December 2004. 143 of the smokers included in the survey were residents of NY while the remainder were from other states (n = 1945). Survey participants were asked whether their cigarettes "ever go out between puffs" and whether they had noticed any change in the taste of their cigarettes in the past 12 months. RESULTS: NY smokers were three times more likely than smokers in other states to report that their cigarettes often went out between puffs (17.3% v 5.6%). However, NY smokers appeared no more likely to report noticing differences in cigarette taste, an intention to quit smoking, or to have made quit attempts. CONCLUSIONS: A significant minority of smokers in NY reported noticing changes in the performance of their cigarettes following the RIP law, as would be expected. However, the RIP law appears to have had no impact on the smoking habits of New Yorkers, countering arguments made by cigarette manufacturers that the law would impact consumer acceptability.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Reductions in tobacco smoke pollution and increases in support for smoke-free public places following the implementation of comprehensive smoke-free workplace legislation in the Republic of Ireland: findings from the ITC Ireland/UK Survey.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the psychosocial and behavioural impact of the first ever national level comprehensive workplace smoke-free law, implemented in Ireland in March 2004. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental prospective cohort survey: parallel cohort telephone surveys of national representative samples of adult smokers in Ireland (n = 769) and the UK (n = 416), surveyed before the law (December 2003 to January 2004) and 8-9 months after the law (December 2004 to January 2005). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Respondents' reports of smoking in key public venues, support for total bans in those key venues, and behavioural changes due to the law. RESULTS: The Irish law led to dramatic declines in reported smoking in all venues, including workplaces (62% to 14%), restaurants (85% to 3%), and bars/pubs (98% to 5%). Support for total bans among Irish smokers increased in all venues, including workplaces (43% to 67%), restaurants (45% to 77%), and bars/pubs (13% to 46%). Overall, 83% of Irish smokers reported that the smoke-free law was a "good" or "very good" thing. The proportion of Irish homes with smoking bans also increased. Approximately 46% of Irish smokers reported that the law had made them more likely to quit. Among Irish smokers who had quit at post-legislation, 80% reported that the law had helped them quit and 88% reported that the law helped them stay quit. CONCLUSION: The Ireland smoke-free law stands as a positive example of how a population-level policy intervention can achieve its public health goals while achieving a high level of acceptance among smokers. These findings support initiatives in many countries toward implementing smoke-free legislation, particularly those who have ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which calls for legislation to reduce tobacco smoke pollution.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Methods of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey.

This paper outlines the design features, data collection methods and analytic strategies of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey, a prospective study of more than 2000 longitudinal respondents per country with yearly replenishments. This survey possesses unique features that sets it apart among surveys on tobacco use and cessation. One of these features is the use of theory-driven conceptual models. In this paper, however, the focus is on the two key statistical features of the survey: longitudinal and "quasi-experimental" designs. Although it is often possible to address the same scientific questions with a cross-sectional or a longitudinal study, the latter has the major advantage of being able to distinguish changes over time within individuals from differences among people at baseline (that is, differences between age and cohort effects). Furthermore, quasi-experiments, where countries not implementing a given new tobacco control policy act as the control group to which the country implementing such a policy will be compared, provide much stronger evidence than observational studies on the effects of national-level tobacco control policies. In summary, application of rigorous research methods enables this survey to be a rich data resource, not only to evaluate policies, but also to gain new insights into the natural history of smoking cessation, through longitudinal analyses of smoker behaviour.

Health Surveys↗
PubMed2006

The conceptual framework of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Policy Evaluation Project.

This paper describes the conceptual model that underlies the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (ITC Project), whose mission is to measure the psychosocial and behavioural impact of key policies of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) among adult smokers, and in some countries, among adult non-smokers and among youth. The evaluation framework utilises multiple country controls, a longitudinal design, and a pre-specified, theory-driven conceptual model to test hypotheses about the anticipated effects of specific policies. The ITC Project consists of parallel prospective cohort surveys of representative samples of adult smokers currently in nine countries (inhabited by over 45% of the world's smokers), with other countries being added in the future. Collectively, the ITC Surveys constitute the first-ever international cohort study of tobacco use. The conceptual model of the ITC Project draws on the psychosocial and health communication literature and assumes that tobacco control policies influence tobacco related behaviours through a causal chain of psychological events, with some variables more closely related to the policy itself (policy-specific variables) and other variables that are more downstream from the policy, which have been identified by health behaviour and social psychological theories as being important causal precursors of behaviour (psychosocial mediators). We discuss the objectives of the ITC Project and its potential for building the evidence base for the FCTC.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
PubMed2005

Smoking behaviour among young adults: beyond youth prevention.

OBJECTIVE: There is a widespread assumption that smoking behaviour is largely established by the age of 18 years. As a result, smoking prevention has focused almost exclusively upon youth. However, recent trends suggest that young adulthood may be an important--and largely overlooked--period in the development of regular smoking behaviour. The current study sought to examine patterns of tobacco use among young adults (aged 18-29 years) and to address the implications for tobacco control policy. DESIGN: Data are presented from the 2003 Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, a national survey of smoking behaviour (n = 10,559, response rate 89%). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Measures of smoking behaviour, smoking initiation, susceptibility to smoking, and occupational status. RESULTS: A total of 1.4 million or 28% of young adults in Canada currently smoke, the highest proportion among all age groups. The prevalence of daily smoking rose from 8% among youth to 22% among young adults, and approximately one fifth of smokers tried their first cigarette after the age of 18 years. Smoking behaviour among young adults was also distinct from older smokers: young adults were more likely to be occasional smokers and reported lower daily consumption. Finally, smoking prevalence and cessation rates varied substantially within subgroups of young adults, as characterised by occupational setting. CONCLUSIONS: Dramatic increases in the proportion and intensity of smoking occurs after the age of 18 years. Smoking behaviour among young adults is distinct from both youth and older adults, and warrants immediate attention from the public health community.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Tobacco on campus: industry marketing and tobacco control policy among post-secondary institutions in Canada.

OBJECTIVE: Post-secondary institutions provide a unique opportunity to implement and evaluate leading edge tobacco policies, while influencing a key group of young adults. To date, however, we know little about the tobacco control environment at post-secondary institutions outside the USA. DESIGN: Telephone surveys were conducted with campus informants from 35 post-secondary institutions in Canada to evaluate tobacco control policies and the presence of tobacco marketing on campus. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Tobacco marketing on campus, tobacco control policies, and attitudes towards tobacco control. RESULTS: The findings indicate that tobacco marketing is prevalent among post-secondary institutions in Canada. Every university and half of all colleges surveyed had participated in some form of tobacco marketing in the past year. Among universities, 80% had run a tobacco advertisement in their paper and 18% had hosted a tobacco sponsored nightclub event. Tobacco control policies varied considerably between institutions. Although several campuses had introduced leading edge policies, such as campus wide outdoor smoking restrictions and tobacco sales bans, there is a general lack of awareness of tobacco issues among campus decision makers and fundamental public health measures, such as indoor smoke-free policies, have yet to be introduced in many cases. CONCLUSIONS: Post-secondary institutions in Canada remain tobacco friendly environments. Without increased direction and support from the public health community, post-secondary institutions will continue to lag behind, rather than lead current policy standards.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Do smokers know how to quit? Knowledge and perceived effectiveness of cessation assistance as predictors of cessation behaviour.

AIMS: Despite the existence of effective cessation methods, the vast majority of smokers attempt to quit on their own. To date, there is little evidence to explain the low adoption rates for effective forms of cessation assistance, including pharmaceutical aids. This study sought to assess smokers' awareness and perceived effectiveness of cessation methods and to examine the relationship of this knowledge to cessation behaviour. DESIGN: A random-digit-dial telephone survey (response rate = 76%) with 3-month follow-up was conducted with 616 adult daily smokers in South-Western Ontario, Canada. MEASUREMENTS: A baseline survey assessed smoking behaviour, as well as smokers' awareness and perceived effectiveness of cessation assistance. A follow-up survey measured changes in smoking behaviour and adoption of cessation assistance at 3 months. FINDINGS: Participants demonstrated a poor recall of cessation methods: 45% of participants did not recall nicotine gum, 33% did not recall the nicotine patch and 57% did not recall bupropion. Also, many participants did not believe that the following cessation methods would increase their likelihood of quitting: nicotine replacement therapies (36%), bupropion (35%), counselling from a health professional (66%) and group counselling/quit programmes (50%). In addition, 78% of smokers indicated that they were just as likely to quit on their own as they were with assistance. Most important, participants who perceived cessation methods to be effective at baseline, were more likely to intend to quit (OR = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.12-2.90), make a quit attempt at follow-up (OR = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.03-3.16) and to adopt cessation assistance when doing so (OR = 3.62, 95% CI: 1.04-12.58). CONCLUSIONS: This research suggests that many smokers may be unaware of effective cessation methods and most underestimate their benefit. Further, this lack of knowledge may represent a significant barrier to treatment adoption.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Impact of the graphic Canadian warning labels on adult smoking behaviour.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of graphic Canadian cigarette warning labels on current adult smokers. DESIGN: A random-digit-dial telephone survey was conducted with 616 adult smokers in south western Ontario, Canada in October/November 2001, with three month follow up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Smoking behaviour (quitting, quit attempts, and reduced smoking), intentions to quit, and salience of the warning labels. RESULTS: Virtually all smokers (91%) reported having read the warning labels and smokers demonstrated a thorough knowledge of their content. A strong positive relation was observed between a measure of cognitive processing-the extent to which smokers reported reading, thinking about, and discussing the new labels-and smokers' intentions to quit (odds ratio (OR) 1.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07 to 1.16; p < 0.001). Most important, cognitive processing predicted cessation behaviour at follow up. Smokers who had read, thought about, and discussed the new labels at baseline were more likely to have quit, made a quit attempt, or reduced their smoking three months later, after adjusting for intentions to quit and smoking status at baseline (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.12; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Graphic cigarette warning labels serve as an effective population based smoking cessation intervention. The findings add to the growing literature on health warnings and provide strong support for the effectiveness of Canada's tobacco labelling policy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Memory bias, confidence and responsibility in compulsive checking.

Recent research suggests that there is a positive memory bias for threatening information in compulsive cleaners. However, the relationship between OCD and memory is likely to be more complex when the compulsive behaviour is checking. Hence, we decided to explore this relationship in a clinical sample of people who check compulsively. Participants completed a diagnostic interview and were then asked to complete a standard 'baseline' check which normally causes distress/discomfort. Two additional checks were then completed--one under conditions of high responsibility and one under low responsibility. The order of responsibility manipulation was randomized across participants. After each check, participants completed a Memory and Confidence Interview which assessed memory for threat-relevant and threat-irrelevant aspects of the check, and also confidence in memory for the check. One week later, participants came into the laboratory to complete additional Memory and Confidence Interviews after watching a videotape of the checks completed earlier in their own homes. These videotaped checks were taken as conditions of 'no responsibility'. Results show a positive memory bias for threat-relevant information. As responsibility was inflated, this positive memory bias was amplified. Under conditions of no responsibility, no memory bias was detectable. Also, responsibility appears to have had a greater impact on confidence in memory than on memory itself in OCD. The results are discussed in terms of the mnestic deficit theory of OCD and in terms of cognitive-behavioural approaches to understanding the disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

A disturbed child's use of a public event: Cotard's syndrome in a ten-year-old.

Public events can be incorporated into the mental life and life narratives of children with psychiatric illnesses. A 10-year-old boy who was not in Oklahoma City at the time of the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building and who knew no one directly impacted, claimed that he himself was dead, then that his grandfather, and finally that a peer and the peer's family had been killed in the blast. This is the first known reported case of Cotard's syndrome, the delusion of being dead, in a prepubescent child. The article also explores the relationships between this boy's symptoms, transference phenomena, real life events, themes of loss, abandonment, neglect, and death, and his fabricated stories.

Child↗
PubMed1999

Is glutamine a 'conditionally essential' amino acid in Duchenne muscular dystrophy?

To determine whether whole body protein kinetics are altered in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), six 9 +/- 1-year-old children with DMD and five weight and height matched controls, received intravenous infusion of L-[1-(13)C]leucine and L-[2-(15)N]glutamine in the post-absorptive state. Glutamine rate of appearance was approximatly 24% lower in DMD boys than in controls (321 +/- 22 vs 425 +/- 37 micromol kg(-1)h(-1), P< 0.05) resulting from a 32% decrease in glutamine de novo synthesis (230 +/- 21 vs 340 +/- 34 micromol kg(-1)h(-1), P< 0.05). Whereas there was no difference between groups in estimates of protein degradation and synthesis, leucine oxidation rate was 44% higher in DMD boys than in controls (23 +/- 2 vs 16 +/- 2 micromol kg(-1)h(-1), P< 0.05). The data suggest that the dramatic mucle mass loss observed in DMD boys is associated with a) significant protein wasting, since increased leucine oxidation reflects a more negative whole body leucine balance, and b) a significant decrease in glutamine availability in the postabsorptive state. Glutamine might therefore be a 'conditionally essential' amino-acid in DMD.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Current trends in breast reduction.

Current trends in the development of breast reduction surgery include a few minor refinements in classic inverted-T scar methods but, more, the increased use of vertical-scar reduction mammaplasty. The benefits of the latter, which include reduced scar burden and improved long-term projection, are attractive, although the technique itself has proved to be somewhat intuitive and more difficult to master. These shortcomings can be minimized and the technique safely learned by initially applying it to patients with minor degrees of macromastia and ptosis. New modifications and alternative approaches have been introduced recently to address the problematic areas of the vertical-scar technique. A survey of members of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons was undertaken at the 1998 annual meeting to review the current role of various techniques in breast reduction. The results revealed a slow acceptance of vertical-scar methods and the dominance of the inferior/central pedicle inverted-T scar method for a wide variety of macromastia types. Other issues were reviewed; they revealed the minimal role of both blood transfusion and liposuction and that more than half of breast reductions are still performed on an inpatient basis.

Data Collection↗