Current practices and perceived barriers to tobacco-treatment delivery among healthcare professionals from 15 European countries. The EPACTT Plus project.

INTRODUCTION: The latest evidence-based Guidelines for Treating Tobacco Dependence highlight the significant role of healthcare professionals in supporting smokers interested to quit. This study aimed to identify the current practices of healthcare professionals in Europe and perceived barriers in delivering tobacco treatment to their patients who smoke. METHODS: In the context of EPACTT-Plus, collaborating institutions from 15 countries (Albania, Armenia, Belgium, Italy, France, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Romania, North Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine) worked for the development of an accredited eLearning course on Tobacco Treatment Delivery available at http://elearning-ensp.eu/. In total, 444 healthcare professionals from the wider European region successfully completed the course from December 2018 to July 2019. Cross-sectional data were collected online on healthcare professionals' current practices and perceived barriers in introducing tobacco-dependence treatment into their daily clinical life. RESULTS: At registration, 41.2% of the participants reported having asked their patients if they smoked. Advise to quit smoking was offered by 47.1% of the participants, while 29.5% reported offering assistance to their patients who smoked in order to quit. From the total number of participants, 39.9% regarded the lack of patient compliance as a significant barrier. Other key barriers were lack of: interest from the patients (37.4%), healthcare professionals training (33.1%), community resources to refer patients (31.5%), and adequate time during their everyday clinical life (29.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The identification of current practices and significant barriers is important to build evidence-based guidelines and training programs (online and/or live) that will improve the performance of healthcare professionals in offering tobacco-dependence treatment for their patients who smoke.

Impact of the ENSP eLearning platform on improving knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy for treating tobacco dependence: An assessment across 15 European countries.

INTRODUCTION: In 2018, the European Network for Smoking Cessation and Prevention (ENSP) released an update to its Tobacco Treatment Guidelines for healthcare professionals, which was the scientific base for the development of an accredited eLearning curriculum to train healthcare professionals, available in 14 languages. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ENSP eLearning curriculum in increasing healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy (perceived behavioral control) and intentions in delivering tobacco treatment interventions in their daily clinical routines. METHODS: We conducted a quasi-experimental pre-post design study with 444 healthcare professionals, invited by 20 collaborating institutions from 15 countries (Albania, Armenia, Belgium, Italy, France, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Romania, North Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine), which completed the eLearning course between December 2018 and July 2019. RESULTS: Healthcare professionals' self-reported knowledge improved after the completion of each module of the eLearning program. Increases in healthcare professionals' self-efficacy in delivering tobacco treatment interventions (p<0.001) were also documented. Significant improvements were documented in intentions to address tobacco use as a priority, document tobacco use, offer support, provide brief counselling, give written material, discuss available medication, prescribe medication, schedule dedicated appointment to develop a quit plan, and be persistent in addressing tobacco use with the patients (all p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: An evidence-based digital intervention can be effective in improving knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy and intentions on future delivery of tobacco-treatment interventions.

Consumo de tabaco y autoestima en adolescentes con y sin Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad (TDAH): propuestas para una mejor prevención / Tobacco use and self-esteem in adolescents with and without attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (adhd): proposals for better prevention

El TDAH es el trastorno del neurodesarrollo más diagnosticado en la infancia. En España los índices de prevalencia fluctúan entre el 4% y el 7%. La comorbilidad entre el TDAH y otros trastornos es muy alta, destacando entre ellos el consumo de drogas. En este artículo se analiza la relación entre el consumo de tabaco, la autoestima y el TDAH. Para ello se utiliza una muestra de 1547 estudiantes de 6º curso de Educación Primaria -EPO- y 1º Educación Secundaria -ESO-, con una media de edad de 11,93 (DT = 0,88) de 26 centros escolares. Resultados: el 5,8% de los participantes estaban diagnosticados con TDAH, los cuales presentan unos niveles de autoestima más bajos que sus compañeros no diagnosticados. El consumo de tabaco parece jugar un papel importante en la mediación de la autoestima social. Teniendo en cuenta estos resultados, se proponen distintas estrategias para mejorar los programas preventivos de drogodependencias

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly-diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder in childhood. In Spain prevalence rates fluctuate between 4% and 7%. Comorbidity between ADHD and other disorders is very high, with the consumption of drugs standing out among these. This article discusses the relationship between smoking, self-esteem and ADHD. For this purpose, a sample of 1,547 students in 6th grade of primary education and 1st year compulsory secondary education from 26 schools was used, with an average age of 11.93 (SD = 0.887). Results: 5.8% of the participants were diagnosed with ADHD, displaying lower levels of self-esteem than their undiagnosed peers. Tobacco use seems to play an important role in mediating social self-esteem. Taking into account these results, different strategies are proposed to improve drug prevention programs