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Tatjana Boskovic



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    P2.10 - Prevention and Tobacco Control (Not CME Accredited Session) (ID 959)

    • Event: WCLC 2018
    • Type: Poster Viewing in the Exhibit Hall
    • Track:
    • Presentations: 1
    • Moderators:
    • Coordinates: 9/25/2018, 16:45 - 18:00, Exhibit Hall
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      P2.10-08 - Smoking Prevention Project in School Population: My Health Is in My Own Hands (ID 13418)

      16:45 - 18:00  |  Author(s): Tatjana Boskovic

      • Abstract

      Background

      According to the WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic 2017, estimated smoking prevalence in Serbia for people aged >15 for year 2015 was 39.4. Prevalence of tobacco use for 2017 in Serbia was 40.2 in adults and 17.8 in youths (13-15 YO). Aims of this project were to educate and to raise awareness in young people in elementary and high schools about harm of tobacco, to prevent cigarette/tobacco smoking and to initiate conversation among students about the harmful influence of tobacco on their health.

      a9ded1e5ce5d75814730bb4caaf49419 Method

      This project was conducted in elementary schools for students aged between 12 and 13 and in high schools for students aged between 14 and 18. A team of young physicians gave lectures about harm of smoking in biology classes in elementary schools. Workshops were conducted in high schools in cooperation with school psychologist. Adequate brochures and posters were made to initiate conversation among students about the harmful influence of tobacco on their health. Special accent was given to smoking as a main risk factor for lung cancer. A questionnaire was developed for the evaluation of the usefulness of the project. This project was supported and granted by the City Health Administration of the City of Novi Sad.

      4c3880bb027f159e801041b1021e88e8 Result

      During the past five years we gave 173 lectures in 12 out of 20 elementary schools in Novi Sad for 3.989 students which is approximately 40% of the population aged between 10 and 14 (according to the 2011 Census). Workshops for students aged between 14 and 18 in 16 high schools in Novi Sad were organized each year. We distributed 24.500 brochures and 850 posters. In this population only a small number of students (<5%) admitted tobacco abuse. The main concern among students about harm of tobacco use was its influence on physical appearance and the possibility of lung cancer and death of a family member who smokes. The usefulness of lecturing was rated with highest scores.

      8eea62084ca7e541d918e823422bd82e Conclusion

      Incidence and mortality of lung cancer in Serbia is among the highest in the world and young people are not well educated about the harmful influence of tobacco use. Accent of further lectures needs to be on physical appearance and lung cancer as possible cause of death in the future. There is a high need for more aggressive and continuous anti-tobacco campaigns in elementary and high schools starting early in population even younger than 14.

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