Tobacco Induced Diseases (Mar 2018)

Prevalence of violence against women and negative predictors in female smokers attended in a smoking cessation unit in Buenos Aires city: a cross-sectional study

  • Sandra Braun,
  • Karina Agolino,
  • Adriana Ángel,
  • Diego Sánches Gelos

DOI
https://doi.org/10.18332/tid/84652
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 1

Abstract

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Background Smoking and violence against women (VAW) are both major public health issues that result in severe consequences. Researches describe smoking as a maladaptive coping mechanism for VAW and determined the existence of a medium composite effect size for this relationship. In spite that smoking cessation treatments are cost effective, they can be less effective in victims of VAW because their higher prevalence of negative predictors as anxiety or depression among others. Our main objective was to assess the prevalence of victimization in female smokers receiving tobacco dependence treatment at our smoking cessation unit. Also, we assessed the prevalence of non-psychotic mental disorders and depression and compared these outcomes between the groups. Methods Between 2012 and 2016, a systematic sample of 532 female smokers was chosen from women who seek care at our smoking cessation unit. We implemented the instruments developed by International Planning Parenthood Federation to explore VAW. Also, we explored non-psychotic mental disorders and depression with the Self Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20) and the Beck scale, respectively. Additionally, demographic data and characteristics of the smoking behavior were evaluated. Results Almost all women agreed to participate (99% response rate). The median age was 53 (IQR 16). Sixty one percent (328) were not married. The median year of education was 13 (IQR 4). The lifetime prevalence of VAW was 66.73% (355) and 15% reported current violence. Women who reported VAW were more frequently single, had an unstable employment situation and smoked more cigarettes/day. Logistic regression showed that VAW was associated with highest SRQ-20 scores' s (OR= 1.15, 95%IC 1.07 - 1.22) adjusted for age, employment and marital status, Beck's scores and cigarette/day. Conclusions The VAW prevalence was high in this sample and positively associated with non psychotic mental disorders. More studies are needed to determine if VAW is a negative predictor for smoking cessation treatments.

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