IntroductionIn Tunisia, few studies have assessed the association between tobacco use and other lifestyle risk factors for chronic disease (eg, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity). We studied 1,880 adults to determine the association between tobacco use and other lifestyle risk factors in Tunisia.MethodsThis study was part of an assessment of the prevalence of chronic disease risk factors in a community-based trial conducted in 2009 to implement a chronic disease prevention program. The study population was randomly selected from 3 districts of the region of Sousse. The questionnaires were administered by personal interview and included the assessment of tobacco use and other chronic disease risk factors such as unhealthful diet habits and physical inactivity.ResultsOf the 1,880 study participants, 64% were women. The mean age of the participants was 37.9 (standard deviation, 13.5 y). The prevalence of tobacco use in our population was 50.4% for men and 3.1% for women. Among men, the proportion of alcohol consumption was significantly higher among smokers (25.3% vs 5.7% [P <.001]). Smokers consumed fewer fruits and vegetables and more high-fat, high-salt, and high-sugar foods than did nonsmokers. There was no significant difference between male smokers and nonsmokers regarding physical activity (P = .36).ConclusionPhysical activity and dietary characteristics may be important areas for physicians to assess during smoking-cessation interventions.
IntroductionThe aim of our study was to explore the major non-communicable risk factors (unhealthy diet, sedentarily, alcohol consumption) of smokers and nonsmokers in workplaces.MethodsA cross-sectional study was derived from an initial assessment in workplaces which was part of a community-based intervention to prevent chronic disease risk factors conducted in 2009 in the region of Sousse, Tunisia. The surveyed subjects were employees in six factories spread across three delegations in the region. Overall, 1770 of 2250 employees participated in the assessment. In this study, the clustering of non-communicable diseases risk factors with smoking habits was made only for male employees including in this study 1099 among 2250. Data were collected at worksites by a questionnaire, via interview or self-report. The main items assessed socio-demographics characteristics, smoking status, eating habits, level of physical activity and alcohol use of the participants.ResultsThe percentage of male smokers was 54.0%(n=594). Their average age of daily smoking initiation was 19.22 (±4.24 years). The percentage of male smokers consuming 5 fruits and vegetables per day was significantly lower than nonsmokers (57.2% vs 63.5%, p=0.04). The proportion of male smokers consuming alcohol was about three times that of nonsmokers (16.5% vs 5.8%, p=0.001). The proportion of male employees who agree with anti-smoking laws in work places was higher for nonsmokers than for smokers.ConclusionA strong association existed between smoking and risky lifestyles factors in the work place. Such findings are potentially useful in directing intervention efforts regarding smoking cessation in occupational settings.
Background. To our knowledge no study has been conducted in Tunisia to describe practice of health care providers towards chronic disease risk factors, particularly among obese adults. Aim. This study is aimed at assessing the level of giving advice on diet and physical activity by health care providers for obese adults comparing to nonobese adults in Tunisia. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in 2010 for adults aged from18 to 65 years living in the region of Sousse. The questionnaires were administered by an interview made by trained data collectors to standardize the administration of the questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements of height and weight were obtained using a standardized protocol from each participant. Results. The findings from this study indicate that obesity is frequent among adults essentially among women and aged categories. It also shows that obese adults are not adequately diagnosed with few proportion of anthropometric measure evaluation among all the participants. Even if obese participants were significantly more advised than nonobese participants with, respectively, 28.5% to lose weight and 23.8% to increase physical activity, this proportion remains low.
Introduction: Little research has been devoted to preschool obesity prevention in Tunisia. Our purpose was to evaluate feasibility and effects of an intervention program for preschoolers, parents and kindergarten staffs aiming to increase the proportion of children doing physical activity and those with balanced eating habits. Methods:We carried out a quasi-experimental intervention study with two groups: A control group and an intervention group. The participants were preschoolers aged 4 to 5 years, their parents and the kindergarten staffs. The sample size to select children was based on a significance level of α=5% and a power 1-β=80% and 10% change in physical activity practice and balanced eating habits. In each group, we made a pre-post assessment of diet and physical activity habits. The intervention consisted in a multidimensional lifestyle intervention with training sessions, workshops, tournaments and educative supports. Data analysis was stratified according to socioeconomic status.Results: At baseline, 270 and 269 preschoolers composed respectively the intervention and control groups. At the post-assessment, the number increased to respectively 347 and 230 preschoolers in intervention and control groups. In the intervention group, 52.9% of the mothers and 56.5% of the fathers were executive versus 37.1% and 43.5% respectively in the control group. In the intervention group, the proportion of children with balanced eating habits had significantly increased between baseline and post-assessment for both executive parents. The proportion of preschoolers doing physical activity outdoors the kindergarten was improved among executive mothers and fathers in the intervention group without significant change. In the control group, there was an increase observed only for executive fathers. Conclusion:Significant changes of physical activity habits and diet characteristics were obtained in the intervention group unlike the control group. The socioeconomic status seems to be determinant in guiding intervention program.
Background: In Tunisia, little is known about the association between tobacco use and other chronic disease risk factors. This is the case for both adults and children. It is important to know the characteristics of young smokers to facilitate the creation and implementation of future programs for tobacco prevention. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the association between tobacco use and other lifestyle factors among schoolchildren in Tunisia. Methods: We conducted a 2009/2010 cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 4003 randomly selected school children aged 13 years old (7th and 9th grades) to evaluate their knowledge, attitudes towards, and beliefs about the three risk factors for chronic disease (unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and tobacco use). Written informed consent was obtained from each child's parents who allowed their child to participate. Results: The mean age of our sample was 13.36 ± 1.28 years. The proportions of daily smokers were 2.2% and 0.1% among boys and girls, respectively. The proportions of irregular smokers were 9.1% and 1.5% among boys and girls, respectively. In our population, 19.1% (n = 767) had ever experimented to smoke, with 29.8% among boys and 9% among girls (p < 0.001). The proportions of schoolchildren who reported daily participation in physical activity were different between smokers and nonsmokers with 17.7% and 11.5%, respectively (p = 0.03). Concerning eating habits, there was no significant difference in the consumption of fruits and vegetables; however, smokers frequently ate more high fat foods and in fast food restaurants. Similar results were found while comparing regular smoking children with those who experimented but who never became hooked on smoking. Conclusion: This study and previous research suggest the importance of early intervention in adolescents on smoking and combing these efforts with interventions focusing on physical activity and dietary habits.
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