Background In many countries, lockdown measures were implemented to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. This situation may have an impact on mental health, tobacco smoking, and alcohol consumption. The aim of this research report is therefore to describe changes in tobacco and alcohol consumption in the general French population during the first two weeks of lockdown and identify any associated factors. Methods Self-reported changes in smoking and alcohol consumption following the lockdown implemented in France on March 17, 2020 were collected from 2,003 respondents aged 18 years and older in an online cross-sectional survey carried out from March 30 to April 1, 2020. Anxiety and depression levels were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results Among current smokers, 26.7% reported an increase in their tobacco consumption since lockdown and 18.6% reported a decrease, while it remained stable for 54.7%. The increase in tobacco consumption was associated with an age of 18-34 years, a high level of education, and anxiety. Among alcohol drinkers, 10.7% reported an increase in their alcohol consumption since lockdown and 24.4% reported a decrease, while it remained stable for 64.8%. The increase in alcohol consumption was associated with an age of 18-49 years, living in cities of more than 100,000 inhabitants, a high socio-professional category, and a depressive mood. Conclusion The national lockdown implemented in France during the COVID-19 pandemic influenced tobacco and alcohol consumption in different ways according to sociodemographic group and mental health.
Before January 2016, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a new biomedical HIV-prevention tool, was only available in France via ANRS-Ipergay clinical study but informal use was reported outside this setting. PrEPage qualitative study reports profiles and experiences of participants who used PrEP outside of a biomedical trial before this prevention method was authorized. Between March 2015 and February 2016, a cross-section of twenty-four informal PrEP users, mostly MSM, was recruited to complete in-depth semi-structured interviews. While ANRS-Ipergay was still ongoing (2012-2016), participants described their initiation to PrEP, the way they used it and the difficulties they faced to acquire antiretroviral drugs in an environment where PrEP was still not widely known and often criticized . Through the testimonies, different user profiles and motivation toward informal PrEP use emerged: (a) participants who have increasing difficulties using condoms, (b) "opportunists" who tried PrEP without the intention of using it regularly and (c) participants with a risk aversion who sought additional protection against HIV. Participants chose to use PrEP and/or their usual prevention strategies depending on available supplies, type of partners and individual attitudes toward risk. The feeling of living a safer sex life helped participants to outweigh the fear of possible toxicity and drug resistance. Participants' needs and expectations about PrEP implementation in France were also presented.
ObjectiveSide effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART) can have a negative impact on health-related quality of life threatening long-term retention in HIV care and adherence to ART. The aim of the French community-based survey EVE was to document personal experiences with side effects, the related physician-patient communication, and solutions found to deal with them.DesignCross-sectional study of women between September 2013 to September 2014MethodsAn anonymous online questionnaire included the HIV Symptom Distress Module, which explores 20 symptoms.ResultsIn all, 301 women on ART participated in the study (median age: 49 years; median duration of ART: 14 years). They reported having experienced a median of 12 symptoms (Q1-Q3: 9–15) during the previous 12 months. Overall, 56% of them reported having found at least a partial solution to dealing with their symptoms. Women reporting financial difficulties were twice less likely to have found solutions to coping with their side effects (AOR: 0.5; 95% CI: 0.3–0.8). Feeling supported by the health-care provider (AOR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.1–3.9) and being in contact with HIV/AIDS organisations (AOR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.2–3.2) were positively associated with coping. Seventeen percent reported having modified their ART regimen to improve tolerance, with only 2 in 3 informing their physician afterwards. Reporting financial difficulties and living with more bothersome symptoms increased the risk of ART regimen modification without health-care provider consultation.ConclusionThe EVE study has called attention to the large number of side effects experienced by WLWHIV, only half of whom have found self-care strategies to manage their symptoms. Modification of ART regimen by the women themselves was not uncommon.
Background E-cigarette (EC) use is controversial because its benefit-risk ratio is still unclear. Since its introduction on the French market at the beginning of the 2010’s, French health authorities have published cautious recommendations. The study aims at describing uses and perceptions about EC among the adult population. Methods Santé Publique France’s Health Barometer, the French national public health agency, is a cross-sectional random survey conducted annually by phone, on a representative sample of the population aged 18-75 y/o in Mainland France. Descriptive analysis and logistic regressions were performed to analyze data collected from the 25,319 respondents of the 2017 edition. Results In 2017 in Mainland France, 3.8% of the population used an EC, 2.7% on a daily basis. Among EC daily users, 60.4% were men, 57.9% had a bachelor degree or higher qualifications. Less than 1% of EC users were never-smokers, 50.3% were daily or occasional smokers, 49.5% were former smokers. The number of daily ex-smokers who did quit smoking ( > = 6 months) and believed that vaping has helped them to, was estimated to be 700,000 since EC has been available in France. EC was perceived as equally or more harmful than regular cigarette by half of the population (51.5%), a proportion that has increased since 2014 (43.4%). Daily smokers perceived EC as more harmful, while being an EC user from high socioeconomic status was associated with the perception that EC is less harmful. The bans on EC in places where smoking is prohibited and on sales of EC to minors (<18 y/o) were appreciated by 66.9% and 77.5%, respectively. Conclusions These results show that in France, EC is strongly related to current or past smoking habits. A significant number of ex-smokers believe that EC has helped them quit smoking. Sociodemographic differences in the perception of EC harmfulness suggest social inequalities in access to information. Key messages Electronic cigarette users in France are few and most of them are smokers or former smokers. The perception of electronic cigarettes harmfulness depends on sociodemographic and smoking status.
Background In October 2016, Santé publique France, the National Public Health Agency, launched a social marketing campaign aiming at triggering quit attempts among smokers: “Mois sans tabac”, inspired by the English ’Stoptober’. This campaign sets smokers the objective of being smokefree for one month, in November. It combines a national mass-media communication with provision of cessation help services (quitline, website, mobile application, self-help kit) and local actions, in connection with the health regional agencies. The study aims at evaluating the effectiveness of this intervention. Methods The effectiveness evaluation is based on a specific analysis of the 2017 Health Barometer, a random survey representative of the population living in metropolitan France conducted between January and July 2017 on a sample of 25,319 individuals aged 18-75 years-old. The participation rate was 48.5%. Multivariate logistic regressions allowed testing the association between recall of the campaign and quit attempts (QA) in the last quarter of 2016, adjusted for sociodemographic confounders (N = 6,341). Respondents who attempted to quit were contacted at one-year for a follow-up. Results Nearly one in six daily smokers (15.9% [14.9-17.1]) reported making a 24-hour QA in the last quarter of 2016, and 18.4% [15.5-21.3] of them reported that it was related to Mois sans tabac, which represents approximately 380,000 QA [310,000-440,000] related to the operation. Among smokers who made a QA, 31% have been abstinent for at least 30 days [27%-34%] and 18% [15%-21%] reported they did not smoke anymore in 2017. Recall of Mois sans tabac was associated with QA in the last quarter of 2016 (aOR=1.3 [1.1-1.6], p < 0.01) and with cessation in 2017 (aOR=2.4 [1.4-4.2], p < 0.01), and odds-ratios increased with frequency of exposure and number of sources of information. Conclusions These results show that the first edition of Mois sans tabac was successful in triggering quit attempts among smokers. Key messages Mass-media campaigns for smoking cessation, combined with provision of help services and local actions, can be effective for triggering quit attempts. Importing foreign social marketing programs can be effective.
of the FCTC, which calls for the use of all available communication tools to promote and strengthen public awareness of tobacco-control issues. In general, massmedia campaigns to encourage smoking cessation are effective as part of comprehensive tobacco control programmes [3][4][5][6][7][8] . Another tool proposed in Article 14 of the FCTC is the design and implementation of effective programs aimed at promoting the cessation ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION In October 2016, the first edition of Mois sans tabac (Tobacco-Free Month) was launched, a campaign which had invited French smokers to challenge themselves to quit smoking for the whole month of November. We aimed to study the effectiveness of this social marketing intervention on quit attempts (QA) in the general French population, and to study possible differences according to sociodemographic characteristics. METHODS This study used data from the 2017 Health Barometer survey, a random survey conducted by telephone on 25319 individuals. It included 6341 respondents who reported that they were daily smokers when the Mois sans tabac campaign was launched in 2016. The association between self-declared exposure to the campaign and making a QA has been studied using multivariate logistic regressions. RESULTS Exposure to the 2016 Mois sans tabac campaign is associated with a QA lasting at least 24 hours in the final quarter of 2016 (AOR=1.32; 95% CI: 1.07-1.63, p<0.01), with a QA lasting at least 30 days (AOR=1.95; 95% CI: 1.31-2.91, p<0.001), and being abstinent at the time of the interview in 2017 (AOR=2.39; 95% CI: 1.37-4.15, p<0.01). A dose-effect relationship is observed between the frequency of exposure to the campaign and QA, which is mostly explained by the number of sources of exposure (television, radio, posters, the press, the internet and social networks). Although certain priority groups (e.g. manual workers, the unemployed) had poorer recall of the campaign than other groups, the impact of self-reported exposure to the campaign on QA in unemployed people or those with less than high school educational level appears to have been greater. CONCLUSIONS These analyses suggest the effectiveness of the 2016 Mois sans tabac intervention, in a context of strengthening public tobacco control policies in France, which may have contributed to the drop in smoking observed between 2016 and 2019.
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