Measuring precarious employment in Europe 8 years into the global crisis.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to describe the prevalence of precarious employment in the European Union (EU) using a multidimensional approach, 8 years into the economic crisis (2014). METHODS: We use data from the Flash Eurobarometer 398 among salaried workers (n = 7702). We calculated the proportion and its 95% confidence intervals (CI 95%) for each of the precarious employment dimensions (not having the ability to exercise rights, vulnerability, disempowerment and temporariness), the prevalence of precarious employment (presenting at least one dimension) and the proportion of workers presenting one, two, three or four dimensions. RESULTS: Two out of three workers had a precarious employment. The prevalence of precariousness was higher in Eastern (72.64%; CI 95%: 61.78; 81.34) than in Nordic European countries (51.17%; CI 95%: 44.30; 58.00). The most prevalent dimension was not having the ability to exercise rights (42.39%). CONCLUSIONS: Precarious employment is an important social determinant of health. Therefore, the EU policy-makers should take into consideration the new forms of employment and legislate accordingly.

Attitudes towards tobacco product regulations and their relationship with the tobacco control policies.

The objective of this work is to describe the acceptability of some tobacco products regulations and to explore their relation with tobacco control legislation levels in Europe. We used data on tobacco control activities in Europe in 2007, 2010 and 2013 measured by the Tobacco Control Scale (TCS) and data regarding attitudes about tobacco control regulations (i.e. adding picture health warnings on all packages of tobacco products or increasing taxes on tobacco products) from the Special Eurobarometer of 2009, 2012 and 2014 (n = 80,831). We calculated the prevalence ratio of favorable attitudes towards tobacco products restrictions in the reference year 2009 vs. the most current year (i.e. 2009 vs 2014), and the effect of previous TCS scores on the attitudes towards tobacco products regulations adjusted for sociodemographic variables. Strong support for the studied tobacco products regulations, which modestly increased over time, was observed. A positive relation was generally observed between TCS scores and support for the studied tobacco products regulations at both the ecological and individual level. A positive correlation was found between TCS scores and support for increasing taxes on tobacco products (rsp:0.29; 95%CI: 0.10, 0.48) at the ecological level, while at the individual level, the positive association was more remarkable in the case of support for adding large health warning labels to packaging. In conclusion, support for the studied tobacco products regulations were positively related with European tobacco control levels of implementation both at the ecological and individual level.

Use of electronic cigarettes in public and private settings in Barcelona (Spain).

OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of e-cigarette users who use them in selected indoor public and workplaces, and private venues in Barcelona (Spain) in 2015. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of a sample of e-cigarette users (≥ 18 years) from Barcelona (n = 600). We calculated the proportion of e-cigarette users who used the device in public and private settings (in the last 30 days). We fit multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for sex and age to calculate the odds ratios (OR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) of e-cigarette use by socio-demographic factors, dual use and nicotine-containing e-cigarettes. RESULTS: The highest proportion of e-cigarette users who used them in public places was found at restaurants or bars (69.4%) and nightclubs or pubs (55.4%). Also being current conventional tobacco smokers (dual users) was significantly associated with lower use of e-cigarettes in workplaces (OR = 0.61, 95%CI:0.41-0.91), restaurants (OR = 0.66, 95%CI:0.45-0.97) and nightclubs (OR = 0.56, 95%CI:0.37-0.86). Moreover, being a nicotine-containing e-cigarette user was associated with higher odds of using the device in workplaces (OR = 2.01, 95%CI:1.34-3.01), and lower odds of using it in nightclubs (OR = 0.56, 95%CI:0.39-0.82). 96.8% of the included e-cigarette users declared to use the device at home. Being a current tobacco smoker was associated with increased odds of using e-cigarettes at home (OR = 3.17, 95%CI:1.22-8.22). CONCLUSIONS: E-cigarette use in private settings and in public settings where their use is not regulated by law is high. Therefore, the public health administration in Spain should consider expanding the prohibition of e-cigarette use to indoor public places and should take into account the possibility of exposure to aerosol from e-cigarettes.

Attitudes toward working conditions: are European Union workers satisfied with their working hours and work-life balance?

OBJECTIVE: To describe the satisfaction with working hours and satisfaction with work-life balance and their association in the European Union (EU-28). METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study based on data from the Flash Eurobarometer 398 among workers of the EU-28 from 2014 (n=13,683). We calculated percentages and their 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). We also applied a multi-level generalised linear model using the Poisson family, to calculate the adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) of satisfaction with work-life balance based on working hours. All analyses were stratified by individual, employment and welfare regime country classification. RESULTS: The satisfaction with working hours and work-life balance was 80.62% and 74.48%, respectively, and was significantly higher among women. The highest percentages of satisfaction were found in the Nordic welfare regime countries (90.2% and 85.3%, respectively). There was a statistically significant association between satisfaction with working hours and work-life balance (aPR: 2.63; 95%CI: 2.28-3.04), and the magnitude of the association differed in individual, employment and welfare regime country classifications. The main reasons declared for dissatisfaction were "excessive working hours" (48.7%), "shift work" (27.9%), and "inability to influence the work schedule" (28.3%). Differences were observed according to sex and type of welfare regime. CONCLUSION: The differences found in the association between satisfaction with work-life balance and working hours according to sociodemographic characteristics and welfare regime show that there are inequalities in the working conditions in the EU countries.

Motivation and main flavour of use, use with nicotine and dual use of electronic cigarettes in Barcelona, Spain: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: This study seeks to describe current e-cigarette users' patterns of use including primary motivation for use, dual use, use with nicotine and principal flavour used, according to individuals' sociodemographic characteristics and conventional tobacco consumption in Barcelona, Spain. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: This is a cross-sectional study of adult (≥18) current e-cigarette users of Barcelona (n=600), recruited in 2015. Researchers calculated percentages and ORs with their 95% CIs of users' e-cigarette use with nicotine, primary motivation for use and preferred flavour. The analyses were stratified by sociodemographic variables including sex, age and level of education and by patterns of e-cigarette use and past and current conventional tobacco use. RESULTS: The most prevalent motivation for using e-cigarettes was to reduce tobacco smoking (48%, n=288), followed by quitting smoking (39.2%, n=235), and to use e-cigarettes in places where tobacco smoking was prohibited (10.2%, n=61). The most prevalent primary flavour used was tobacco (49%, n=294), followed by fruit (19.5%, n=117). People younger than 25 years old (OR=4.36, 95% CI 1.99 to 9.57) were more likely than older people to use them where smoking cigarettes was prohibited. A greater proportion of those in the youngest age group preferred fruit flavour compared with older individuals (29.3%, n=41). CONCLUSIONS: Younger users of e-cigarettes and non-smokers are more likely to use flavours other than tobacco and to use e-cigarettes mainly for recreational purposes.