Kontakt 2008, 10(2):354-359 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2008.054

Smoking in seniorsHealth and Social Sciences

Kvetoslava Kotrbová^1,2,*, František Kotrba^2,3, Vladimír Vurm¹

¹ Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích, Zdravotně sociální fakulta, katedra veřejného a sociálního zdravotnictví

² Krajská hygienická stanice Jihočeského kraje se sídlem v Českých Budějovicích

³ Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích, Zdravotně sociální fakulta, katedra veřejného a sociálního zdravotnictví, student doktorského studia

The prevalence of smoking as a topical health problem in most countries exerts a moderate decrease in the tobacco consumption over the last years, particularly among men and older age groups, but an increasing trend among women and particularly younger age groups and children, which are also primarily targets not only of the marketing attempts of tobacco companies but also of most contemporary research programmes. Thus, the authors aimed their work, in association with holding the conference Problems of Generation 50 plus, which is regularly co-organized by the Faculty of Health and Social Studies of the University of South Bohemia, at following the population on the opposite group compared to most studies: a group of seniors - students of the University of Third Age of the Faculty of Health and Social Studies of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice and former students, members of the Club of the University of the Third Age.
The sample group consisted of people having active approach to their lives, who are interested in acquiring new information even at their advanced age. The authors examined their standpoints and habits in the field of the consumption of tobacco, effects of advertisements, health education, economical problems and health condition.
The principal result is the fact that most smokers considered were able to stop smoking. The authors worked with a sample of 97 subjects aged 50 to 85 years; the average age was of 64.5 years. Forty-three respondents of the total number of 97 stated that they were smoking sometimes in the past. Today, only 6 persons are smoking; 37 smokers stopped smoking, i.e. 86% of the subjects, who were regularly smoking for a period longer than one year sometimes in the past. A further interesting finding is the opinion of subjects that neither the prevention nor the advertisements of tobacco products played any role in forming their standpoints and opinions as usually considered. The most important factor why they started smoking was supporting their status in an informal group - crowd; the most frequent reason for which they stopped smoking were fears of health consequences of smoking.

Keywords: smoking; nicotine; seniors; dependence

Received: August 22, 2008; Accepted: September 26, 2008; Prepublished online: December 17, 2008; Published: December 17, 2009  Show citation