Clearing the Smoke Screen: Smoking, Alcohol Consumption, and Stress Management Techniques among Canadian Long-Term Care Workers

Abstract

Background: Currently, there is abundant research indicating that smoking and alcohol consumption have significant impacts on morbidity and mortality, though little is known about these behaviors among Canadian health care workers. The objective of this study was to examine health and coping behaviors, such as smoking and alcohol consumption as well as stress management techniques, among health care workers consisting of gendered, racialized, and immigrant employees. Methods: Drawing on a single-case, mixed-methods study in Ontario, Canada, this paper presents under-researched data about smoking practices, alcohol consumption, and stress management techniques among health care workers in labor-intensive, high-stress, high-turnover environments. In particular, it identifies the various mechanisms for maintaining health and well-being. Results: The findings suggest that 7.7% of survey respondents reported smoking while 43.4% reported alcohol consumption, which were reported more frequently among immigrants than among non-immigrants. Participants also reported health-promoting activities in face-to-face interviews, such as mindful breathing techniques and drawing upon social support, while a few respondents reported alcohol consumption to specifically cope with sleep disturbances and job stress. Conclusions: Although smoking and alcohol consumption were both connected with coping strategies and leisure, they were predominant in immigrant groups compared to non-immigrant groups.

The Relationship between Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence as a Protective Factor for Healthcare Professionals: Systematic Review

“…The emotional demands of managing one's own emotions as well as those of others can have a negative influence on healthcare professionals' health, wellbeing and job performance, leading to high levels of stress and burnout [73,74]. Long-term care workers prefer coping strategies such as mindfulness, meditation and solitary recreation, as well as drawing on social support, as a sources of stress relief [75]. It has been shown that practicing mindfulness reduces professionals' emotional overload and burnout, while also enhancing positive cognitive retraining [37].…”

Association between Green Space Structure and the Prevalence of Asthma: A Case Study of Toronto

“…As has been revealed, chronic stress is positively correlated with interleukin production and eosinophil counts, which implicates the inflammatory process in asthma, while higher family savings contribute to reducing interleukin production and eosinophil counts [ 91 ]. Moreover, stress can promote tobacco use [ 92 ], and, compared with males, females are more likely to smoke when managing stress [ 93 ]. However, household income is negatively related to nicotine dependence and chronic stress, and it can moderate the positive relationship between stress and smoking [ 92 ].…”

The Association between Quitline Characteristics and Smoking Cessation by Educational Attainment, Income, Race/Ethnicity, and Sex

“…More research should be devoted to understanding differences in quitline effectiveness for individuals who do and do not have mental health conditions, as well as how the extent of quitline services offered might impact these disparities. Further, more work should be done to understand the potential impact of quitlines on smoking disparities between immigrant and non-immigrant populations, as several studies have highlighted differences in smoking by immigration status, the country from which an individual immigrates, and male–female differences within groups of individuals who have immigrated, though findings as to the direction of these disparities have varied across studies [ 48 , 49 ]. Additionally, our study did not factor in the extent to which quitlines were advertised, nor how media campaigns might have influenced reach or cessation.…”