European journal of public health
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Eur J Public Health · Apr 2013
Impact of economic crisis and other demographic and socio-economic factors on self-rated health in Greece.
Financial crisis and worsened socio-economic conditions are associated with greater morbidity, less utilization of health services and deteriorated population's health status. The aim of the present study was to investigate the determinants of self-rated health in Greece. ⋯ Our findings confirm the association of self-rated health with economic crisis and certain demographic and socio-economic factors. Given that the economic recession in Greece deepens, immediate and effective actions targeting health inequalities and improvements in health status are deemed necessary.
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With male smoking prevalence at ~30% in 1998, the UK implemented stricter tobacco control policies, including a comprehensive cessation treatment programme. We evaluate their effect. ⋯ The results document the UK's success in reducing smoking prevalence and prolonging lives, thereby providing an example for other European nations. When Framework Convention for Tobacco Control- (FCTC) consistent policies are also implemented, the model projects that smoking prevalence will fall by another 28% with an additional 168,000 deaths averted by 2040.
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Eur J Public Health · Apr 2013
Integrating a quantitative risk appraisal in a health impact assessment: analysis of the novel smoke-free policy in Hungary.
Although the quantification of health outcomes in a health impact assessment (HIA) is scarce in practice, it is preferred by policymakers, as it assists various aspects of the decision-making process. This article provides an example of integrating a quantitative risk appraisal in an HIA performed for the recently adopted Hungarian anti-smoking policy which introduced a smoking ban in closed public places, workplaces and public transport vehicles, and is one of the most effective measures to decrease smoking-related ill health. ⋯ The provision of smoke-free public places has an unambiguously positive impact on the health of the public, especially in a country with a high burden of smoking-related diseases. The study described offers a practical example of applying quantification in an HIA, thereby promoting its incorporation into political decision making.
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Eur J Public Health · Feb 2013
Association of proximity to polluting industries, deprivation and mortality in small areas of the Basque Country (Spain).
The study is aimed at assessing social inequities in the location of polluting industries in the Basque Country, and at exploring if the effect on mortality of living near air polluting industries is modified by economic deprivation. ⋯ There is a higher proportion of more deprived census sections around polluting industries in the Basque Country. Risks of mortality associated with proximity to polluting industries tend to be higher in more deprived areas.
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Eur J Public Health · Feb 2013
The mental health risks of economic crisis in Spain: evidence from primary care centres, 2006 and 2010.
Nearly all European countries have been affected by the economic crisis that began in 2007, but the consequences have been among the worst in Spain. We investigated the associations of the recession on the frequency of mood, anxiety, somatoform, alcohol-related and eating disorders among those visiting Spanish primary care settings. ⋯ Recession has significantly increased the frequency of mental health disorders and alcohol abuse among primary care attendees in Spain, particularly among families experiencing unemployment and mortgage payment difficulties.