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Special Academic Unit for the Study of Smoking Behaviour

No Smoking 655055 1280

Smoking is one of the world’s leading causes of premature death, disease and disability, but it is preventable.

The Special Academic Unit for the Study of Smoking Behaviour has as its research objective the systematic study and recording of smoking habits in the population, the use of tobacco products, e-cigarettes and new heated tobacco products in order to design effective actions to stop smoking and protect the community from its harmful effects.

In particular, the aim of the unit is to meet the teaching needs of the Department of Public and Community Health and other departments of the University of West Attica at undergraduate and postgraduate level, while promoting theoretical and applied research in smoking cessation.

 

 

 

Within the framework of the research activities of the Special Academic Unit, a systematic study of the smoking habit of the population, the use of tobacco products, the use of electronic cigarettes and new heated tobacco products is carried out.
In addition, in collaboration with scientists of different disciplines, the main object of research of the Unit is the possible effects of new tobacco products on both the health of the population, their potential impact on smoking behaviour and their use in reducing smoking.

 

 

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

2023

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2013

  • GATS| GLOBAL ADULT TOBACCO SURVEY FACT SHEET GREECE 2013
    Παγκόσμια  Μελέτη  Ενηλίκων  για  το  Κάπνισμα:   GATS GR FactSheet 2 1Nov2013
  • GΥTS| GLOBAL YOUTH TOBACCO SURVEY FACT SHEET GREECE 2013
    Παγκόσμια μελέτη παιδιών (13-­15 ετών) για το κάπνισμα:  GΥTS GR FactSheet 2013

2012

Professor Anastasia Barbouni

Konstantinos Kesanopoulos, biologist, Msc, PhD

Konstantinos Farsalinos, Cardiologist, researcher at the Onassis Heart Surgery Centre of Athens and at the Gathuisberg University Hospital in Belgium.

Kalliroi Kourea, Cardiologist, PhD, University of Athens, Supervisor of the cardiology clinic “HELIAS MELATHRON”, Academic Scholar (Smoking Cessation Clinic B University Cardiology Clinic, P.G.N. “ATTIKON”

September 2022

5th Scientific Summit on Tobacco Harm Reduction: Novel products, Research & Policy

 

 

June 2022

Participation in the “60th Panhellenic Pediatric Congress”

 

The Special Academic Unit for the Study of Smoking Behaviour participated with a free announcement in the “60th Panhellenic Paediatric Congress”, which was held in person on the weekend of 3-5 June 2022, entitled:

“Development of an Epidemiology Information System: Beliefs against the COVID-19 childhood vaccination Greek Twitter”

Christos Markou, Nefeli Giannopoulou Marini, Ioanna Karefyllaki, Georgia Mercuriadis, Vasiliki – Athena Tyrologos, Dimitra Papadaki, Konstantinos Kesanopoulos, Anastasia Barbouni

The paper highlights the application of Informed Epidemiology in the study of childhood vaccination. At the same time, it presents a sentiment analysis of the attitudes and beliefs of Greek Twitter users using 2 comparative methods: natural language processing (NLP) algorithm method and text sentiment analysis method by members of the research team.

In the framework of the conference, the paper was awarded with the “Xoremio Prize”.

 

 

March 2022

2nd Cycle of the programme  “ZOOM &…. Stop Smoking!”

ONLINE SMOKING CESSATION GROUP

It is with great pleasure that we announce the start of the 2nd cycle of the innovative cooperation program between the Centre for the Prevention of Addictions “PRONOI” of the Municipality of Kifissia and the Laboratory of Preventive Cardiology of the 2nd University Cardiology Clinic P. G.G.N. ATTIKON (Smoking Cessation Clinic) and the Special Academic Unit for the Study of Smoking Behaviour (Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology) of the Department of Public and Community Health of the University of West Attica.

Press release (in Greek)

 

February 2022

Participation in the “Panhellenic Public Health Conference 2022”

The Special Academic Unit for the Study of Smoking Behavior participated with e-poster in the “Panhellenic Public Health Conference 2022”, which was held in person during the weekend of 28 February – 2 March 2022, entitled:

“Childhood vaccination against COVID-19: Analysis of the Greek Twitter through an IBS system”

Markou Christos, Giannopoulou Marini Nefeli, Mercouriadis Georgia, Tυροlogos Vasiliki – Athena, Papadaki Dimitra, Karefyllaki Ioanna, Kessanopoulos Konstantinos, Barbouni Anastasia

Through this paper, the possibilities of applying Infodemiology in the study of attitudes and beliefs of Greek Twitter users regarding childhood vaccination against COVID-19 are presented, thus highlighting the importance of Infodemiology in the study of key issues of Public Health interest.

In the framework of the Conference, the paper was awarded the “Dimitris Trichopoulos Prize” as the best e-poster.

 

 

September 2021

Participation in the “4th Scientific Summit on Tobacco Harm Reduction: novel products, research & policy”

The Special Academic Unit for the Study of Tobacco Behavior participated with a presentation at the “4th Scientific Summit on Tobacco Harm Reduction:

“Internet Based Surveillance systems on smoking and alternative tobacco product use: exploring the potential of Twitter”

Konstantinos Kesanopoulos, Christos Markou, Ioanna Karefullaki, Nefeli Giannopoulou Marini, Georgia Merkouriadi, Dimitra Papadaki, Vasiliki-Athina Tyrologou, Anastasia Barbouni

The paper highlights the important potential of social media, and more specifically Twitter, in the study of smoking habits using Internet-Based Surveillance systems.

 

 

Martch-May  2021

1st Cycle of the programme ” ZOOM &…. Stop Smoking!”
ONLINE STOP SMOKING GROUP

It is with great pleasure that we announce the operation of the new innovative cooperation program between the Centre for the Prevention of Addictions “PRONOI” of the Municipality of Kifissia and the Preventive Cardiology Laboratory of the 2nd University Cardiology Clinic of the P.G.N. ATTIKON (Smoking Cessation Clinic) and the Special Academic Unit for the Study of Smoking Behaviour (Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology) of the Department of Public and Community Health of the University of West Attica.

Press release (in Greek)-Start of the programme 

Press release (in Greek) -Completion of the programme 

 

 

February 2021

Important recognition of a publication of the Smoking Behaviour Study Unit of the Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology of the Department of Health and Epidemiology of the University of Athens. Public and Community Health Department of the Department of Health and Epidemiology of the Laboratory of Public and Community Health

The scientific publication “Systematic review of the prevalence of current smoking among hospitalized COVID-19 patients in China: could nicotine be a therapeutic option?” prepared in early May 2020 by the Unit of the Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology of the Department of Public and Community Health, where we presented the scientific hypothesis linking COVID-19 disease to lesions in nicotinic receptors and the cholinergic anti-inflammatory network, describing the potential benefits of nicotine medication (still under investigation), was ranked among the Highlights of the Year 2020 by Springer Nature (Springer Nature 2020 Highlights) as one of the most controversial articles. Read the publication at the link below

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11739-020-02355-7

Authors:

Α. A. Barbouni,

K. Farsalinos,

  1. Niaura, New York University

“We are delighted to inform you that your publication Systematic review of the prevalence of current smoking among hospitalized COVID-19 patients in China: could nicotine be a therapeutic option? was among the Springer Nature 2020 Highlights – a selection of the most popular articles and book chapters published last year and reflecting top research that made an impact. Thank you and

Congratulations!

 

 

 

 

September 2020

Pre-conference Workshop on “Smoking Habit in Greece: From epidemiology to smoking cessation and legislation”, 23 September 2020 in the framework of the

3rd Scientific Summit on Tobacco Harm Reduction: Novel products, Research & Policy.

Attendance is free of charge and is done remotely. Registration is required by sending an e-mail to info@nosmokesummit.org.

 

March 2020

November 2019

  • Η Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco (SRNT) επέλεξε την Ειδική Ακαδημαϊκή Μονάδα Μελέτης  Καπνισματικής Συμπεριφοράς για να διοργανώσει την Ετήσια Ευρωπαϊκή Συνάντηση της στην Αθήνα τον Σεπτέμβριο του 2021

 

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