Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are an alternative to traditional tobacco cigarette smoking. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use among university students from Central and Eastern Europe and to investigate personal characteristics associated with cigarette and e-cigarette smoking. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey was performed between 2017–2018 among university students in five European countries: Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Slovakia. The questionnaire included 46 questions related to the frequency and habits of traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes use. Completed questionnaires were obtained from 14,352 students (8800 medical; aged 20.9 ± 2.4 years) with an overall response rate of 72.2%. Two-thirds of the respondents had smoked a traditional tobacco cigarette and 43.7% had used an e-cigarette. Overall current smoking status included 12.3% traditional cigarette smokers, 1.1% e-cigarette users, and 1.8% were dual users with the remainder being non-smokers. Smoking status differed between the research centres (p < 0.001). Females were less likely to try either cigarettes (OR = 0.83) or e-cigarettes (OR = 0.62) and were less likely to be current cigarette (OR = 0.64), e-cigarette (OR = 0.34), or dual users (OR = 0.33) than males. Perception of e-cigarettes significantly differed between smokers and non-smokers (p < 0.001). Among university students, cigarettes are more popular than e-cigarettes.

BackgroundThe prevalence of asthma and other allergic diseases among children living in Eastern is not well described. Our objective was to estimate and compare the prevalence of asthma, respiratory symptoms and allergic diseases in children in Belarus, Ukraine, and Poland as well as to identify risk factors for these conditions. We also sought to profile and compare children with asthma between locations.MethodsData were collected as a part of an international, multicenter, cross-sectional study of childhood asthma: The Belarus Ukraine Poland Asthma Study (BUPAS). Subjects were children aged 7–13 years attending primary and secondary schools in the urban and surrounding rural area of Grodno (Belarus), Ternopil (Ukraine) and Silesia Region (Poland). Physician-diagnosed respiratory diseases and symptoms as well as allergic diseases were ascertained using the ISAAC questionnaire completed by the parents.ResultsIn total there were 4019 children from Belarus (rural: 2018, urban: 2001), 4493 from Ukraine (1972; 2521), and 4036 from Poland (2002, 2034). The overall response rate was 76.7 %. Groups were similar in case of gender and age (p > 0.05). Almost all analyzed respiratory and allergic conditions differed significantly between countries including asthma [Poland (rural, urban): 3.5 %, 4.1 %; Ukraine: 1.4 %, 2.1 %; Belarus: 1.4 %, 1.5 %], spastic bronchitis (Poland: 2.7 %, 3.2 %; Ukraine: 7.5 %, 6.5 %; Belarus: 6.4 %, 7.9 %), and chest wheeze in the last year (Poland: 4.8 %, 5.2 %; Ukraine: 11.5 %, 13.0 %; Belarus: 10.7 %, 10.0 %). These differences remained after adjustment for potential confounders. Risk factor associations were generally similar between outcomes. Symptom characteristics of children with asthma between countries were not consistent. The ratio of current wheeze:diagnosis of asthma differed by country: (Rural areas: Belarus: 10.9:1, Ukraine: 17.3:1, Poland: 2.4:1; Urban areas: Belarus: 8.1:1, Ukraine: 7.3:1 Poland: 1.9:1).ConclusionsThe findings show large between-country differences and relatively low prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases in children of Western Belarus and Ukraine. There is evidence for underdiagnosis of asthma in these regions.

IntroductionStress is an inseparable element of nurses' work. It is also the cause of wellbeing disorders and the source of various diseases. The wellbeing and health of nurses has a direct impact on the quality of care and health outcomes for patients. An appropriate stress coping strategy can reduce the impact of stress and mitigate its negative consequences. The COVID-19 pandemic, especially in its initial period, was a source of enormous additional stress for nurses. In Poland and Belarus: two neighboring countries with common history and similar culture, the authorities took a completely different approach to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.AimThe purpose of this study was to investigate and compare how nurses in Poland and Belarus cope with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and MethodThe cross-sectional study was conducted among 284 nurses working in hospital in Bialystok, Poland (158) and in Grodno, Belarus (126). Mini-Cope inventory - the polish adaptation of Carver's BriefCope was used for measuring coping with stress.ResultsOnly 17.5% of Belarusian nurses were tested for the presence of the virus and only 4.8% were infected, while in Poland it was 50.6 and 31.0%, respectively. The most frequent used coping strategies were active strategies (active coping, planning) and the least-used were avoidance strategies (behavioral disengagement, substance use) in both countries. Polish nurses significantly more often than Belorussian used support-seeking/emotion-oriented strategies, as well as avoidance strategies. No differences were found for active coping strategies between the both groups. Contact with a patient infected with the SARS-CoV2 virus did not influence the choice of stress coping strategies by nurses in both countries. Staying in quarantine or home isolation favored more active coping strategies, especially in the case of Belarusian nurses. Taking a SARS-CoV-2 test did not statistically differentiate the choice of coping strategies in the Belarusian group. In the Polish group, nurses with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result used both use of instrumental support and use of emotional support strategies less frequently. SARS-CoV-2 virus infection did not statistically differentiated how stressful situations were handled in Polish group.ConclusionsPolish and Belorussian nurses used similar strategies to cope with stress in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The social and demographic differences between Polish and Belorussian nurses differentiated the choice of coping strategies among the respondents to a greater extent than the completely different approach of the media and authorities to the COVID-19 pandemic in the two countries. The threat of the COVID-19 pandemic does not affect the choice of stress coping strategies by nurses in Poland and Belarus. Being in quarantine or home isolation favored the use of active coping strategies among Belorussian nurses. Polish nurses, on the other hand, were more likely to turn to religion after being quarantined.

Abstract

The findings show a low prevalence of allergic diseases and symptoms in children of Western Belarus, following similar East-West gradients described in the literature. All allergic disorders except asthma were less frequent in the rural population. A very low prevalence of childhood asthma and the possibility of underdiagosis of the disease in the surveyed population deserve further investigation.

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Background: Clinical presentations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among children with asthma have rarely been investigated. This study aimed to assess clinical manifestations and outcome of COVID-19 among children with asthma, and whether the use of asthma medications was associated with outcomes of interest. Methods:The Global Asthma Network (GAN) conducted a global survey among GAN centers. Data collection was between November 2020 and April 2021.Results: Fourteen GAN centers from 10 countries provided data on 169 children with asthma infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 was asymptomatic in 58 (34.3%), mild in 93 (55.0%), moderate in 14 (8.3%), and severe/critical in 4 (2.4%). Thirty-eight (22.5%) patients had exacerbation of asthma and 21 (12.4%) were hospitalized for a median of 7 days (interquartile range 3-16). Those who had moderate or more severe COVID-19 were significantly more likely to have exacerbation of asthma as compared to those who were asymptomatic or had mild COVID-19 (adjusted odds ratio (adjOR) 3.97, 95% CI 1.23-12.84). Those who used inhaled bronchodilators were significantly more likely to have a change of asthma medications (adjOR 2.39, 95% CI 1.02-5.63) compared to those who did not.Children who used inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) did not differ from those who did not use ICS with regard to being symptomatic, severity of COVID-19, asthma exacerbation, and hospitalization. Conclusions:Over dependence on inhaled bronchodilator may be inappropriate. Use of ICS may be safe and should be continued in children with asthma during the pandemic of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 restrictions in Belarus turned out to be less stringent than those of its neighboring countries. Objective: We aimed to evaluate physical activity, life satisfaction, perception of stress, choice of coping strategies and their correlations among Belarusian students. An anonymous Internet survey was conducted among 1769 students studying at the faculties of physical culture (415), pedagogical (737), and medical (617) universities. International Physical Activity Questionnaires (IPAQ) and Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), and Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (mini-COPE) questionnaires were used. The respondents declared sufficient and high levels of physical activity. The level of physical activity was correlated with life satisfaction (typically for student-athletes). The least satisfaction with life and highest level of perceived stress were among future doctors. The minimum indicator of stress was noted in athletes. The most common coping strategy was active coping. Strategies of problem avoidance and seeking support from outside were not used by student-athletes. These strategies were used by pedagogical and medical students. Student-athletes have the most favorable opportunities, followed by representatives of pedagogical and medical students. The proposed classification of the levels of behavior (optimal, acceptable, satisfactory and risky) makes it possible to adjust lifestyles.