Users’ needs for a digital smoking cessation application and how to address them: A mixed-methods study

Background Despite their increasing prevalence and potential, eHealth applications for behavior change suffer from a lack of adherence and from dropout. Advances in virtual coach technology provide new opportunities to improve this. However, these applications still do not always offer what people need. We, therefore, need a better understanding...

Addressing people’s current and future states in a reinforcement learning algorithm for persuading to quit smoking and to be physically active

Behavior change applications often assign their users activities such as tracking the number of smoked cigarettes or planning a running route. To help a user complete these activities, an application can persuade them in many ways. For example, it may help the user create a plan or mention the experience of peers. Intuitively, the application...

Associations of sustained smoking and smoking cessation with work-related outcomes: a longitudinal analysis

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the association between sustained smoking and quitting with work-related outcomes among older workers. Methods: We categorized a sample of older employees into non-smokers, sustained smokers and quitters. Multivariable regression models were used to test longitudinal associations of sustained smoking...

A microsimulation model for the development and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic lung disease that is thought to affect over one million people in Great Britain. The main factor contributing to the development of COPD is tobacco smoke. This paper presents a microsimulation model for the development of COPD, incorporating population dynamics and trends in smoking. The...

Changes in smoking, sports participation and overweight: Does neighborhood prevalence matter?

We investigated whether the prevalence of health-related behaviors and overweight in neighborhoods is associated with changes in smoking, sports participation and overweight over 13 years of follow-up in Dutch adults residing in 86 neighborhoods of Eindhoven in 1991. We showed that living in neighborhoods with a high prevalence of non-smoking,...

Roken tijdens de zwangerschap: Trends in de periode 2001-2010

Doel. Het vaststellen van trends in de rookprevalentie onder zwangeren in de periode 2001-2010 en deze prevalentie relateren aan verschillen naar opleidingsniveau. Opzet. Beschrijvend; landelijke peilingen. Methode. In 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007 en 2010 werden via organisaties voor jeugdgezondheidszorg tijdens het periodiek...

Active and passive smoking and the risk of pancreatic cancer in the Netherlands cohort study

Background: To date, cigarette smoking is the most consistent risk factor for pancreatic cancer. We prospectively examined the role of active cigarette smoking, smoking cessation, and passive smoking as determinants for pancreatic cancer. Methods: The Netherlands Cohort Study consisted of 120,852 men and women who completed a baseline...

The association of behavioural and emotional problems with tobacco use in adolescence

Smoking is a highly addictive behaviour, often initiated during adolescence. It is suggested that smoking is associated with behavioural and emotional problems. This study aims to assess the impact of psychosocial problems on smoking initiation and vice versa. Method: We obtained data on self-reported psychosocial problems and smoking of...

Licht dalende prevalentie van roken rondom de zwangerschap [Slight decrease in the prevalence of smoking around pregnancy]

Objective. To establish smoking prevalence of fertile-aged women; before and during pregnancy, and 6 months after delivery. Design. Cross-sectional. Method. Yearly surveys by questionnaires handed out during 2001-2003 to mothers visiting a Well Baby Clinic with infants aged 0-6 months. Results. Out of a total of 14,540 questionnaires, 9,133 (63%...

Modeling predicted that tobacco control policies targeted at lower educated will reduce the differences in life expectancy

Background and Objective: To estimate the effects of reducing the prevalence of smoking in lower educated groups on educational differences in life expectancy. Methods: A dynamic Markov-type multistate transition model estimated the effects on life expectancy of two scenarios. A "maximum scenario" where educational differences in prevalence of...

Stage-based lifestyle interventions in primary care: Are they effective?

Background To systematically review the literature concerning the effect of stages-of-change-based interventions in primary care on smoking, physical activity, and dietary behavior. Methods An extensive search (until July 2002) was performed using the following inclusion criteria: (1) (randomized) controlled trial (RCT/CT), (2) intervention...

Fruits, vegetables and lung cancer: A pooled analysis of cohort studies

Inverse associations between fruit and vegetable consumption and lung cancer risk have been consistently reported. However, identifying the specific fruits and vegetables associated with lung cancer is difficult because the food groups and foods evaluated have varied across studies. We analyzed fruit and vegetable groups using standardized...