Publications
225 results found
Palladino R, Lee JT, Hone T, et al., 2016, The Great Recession And Increased Cost Sharing In European Health Systems., Health Aff (Millwood), Vol: 35, Pages: 1204-1213
European health systems are increasingly adopting cost-sharing models, potentially increasing out-of-pocket expenditures for patients who use health care services or buy medications. Government policies that increase patient cost sharing are responding to incremental growth in cost pressures from aging populations and the need to invest in new health technologies, as well as to general constraints on public expenditures resulting from the Great Recession (2007-09). We used data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe to examine changes from 2006-07 to 2013 in out-of-pocket expenditures among people ages fifty and older in eleven European countries. Our results identify increases both in the proportion of older European citizens who incurred out-of-pocket expenditures and in mean out-of-pocket expenditures over this period. We also identified a significant increase over time in the percentage of people who incurred catastrophic health expenditures (greater than 30 percent of the household income) in the Czech Republic, Italy, and Spain. Poorer populations were less likely than those in the highest income quintile to incur an out-of-pocket expenditure and reported lower mean out-of-pocket expenditures, which suggests that measures are in place to provide poorer groups with some financial protection. These findings indicate the substantial weakening of financial protection for people ages fifty and older in European health systems after the Great Recession.
Filippidis FT, Laverty AA, Gerovasili V, et al., 2016, Two year trends and predictors of e-cigarette use in 27 European Union member states, Tobacco Control, Vol: 26, Pages: 98-104, ISSN: 0964-4563
Objective: This study assessed changes in levels of ever use, perceptions of harm from e-cigarettes and socio-demographic correlates of use among EU adults during 2012-2014, as well as determinants of current use in 2014. Methods: We analysed data from the 2012 (n=26,751) and 2014 (n=26,792) waves of the adult Special Eurobarometer for Tobacco survey. Point prevalence of current and ever use were calculated and logistic regression assessed correlates of current use and changes in ever use and perception of harm. Correlates examined included age, gender, tobacco smoking, education, area of residence, difficulties in paying bills and reasons for trying an e-cigarette. Results: The prevalence of ever use of e-cigarettes increased from 7.2% in 2012 to 11.6% in 2014 (Adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR]=1.91). EU-wide coefficient of variation in ever e-cigarette use was 42.1% in 2012 and 33.4% in 2014. The perception that e-cigarettes are harmful increased from 27.1% in 2012 to 51.6% in 2014 (aOR=2.99), but there were major differences in prevalence and trends between member states. Among those who reported that they had ever tried an e-cigarette in the 2014 survey, 15.3% defined themselves as current users. Those who tried an e-cigarette to quit smoking were more likely to be current users (aOR=2.82).Conclusion: Ever use of e-cigarettes increased during 2012-2014. People who started using e-cigarettes to quit smoking tobacco were more likely to be current users, but the trends vary by country. These findings underscore the need for more research into factors influencing e-cigarette use and its potential benefits and harms.
Stratakos G, Gerovasili V, Dimitropoulos C, et al., 2016, Survival and quality of life benefit after endoscopic management of malignant central airway obstruction, Journal of Cancer, Vol: 7, Pages: 794-802, ISSN: 1837-9664
BACKGROUND: Although interventional management of malignant central airway obstruction (mCAO) is well established, its impact on survival and quality of life (QoL) has not been extensively studied. AIM: We prospectively assessed survival, QoL and dyspnea (using validated EORTC questionnaire) in patients with mCAO 1 day before interventional bronchoscopy, 1 week after and every following month, in comparison to patients who declined this approach. Material/Patients/Methods: 36 patients underwent extensive interventional bronchoscopic management as indicated, whereas 12 declined. All patients received full chemotherapy and radiotherapy as indicated. Patients of the 2 groups were matched for age, comorbidities, type of malignancy and level of obstruction. Follow up time was 8.0±8.7 (range 1-38) months. RESULTS: Mean survival for intervention and control group was 10±9 and 4±3 months respectively (p=0.04). QoL improved significantly in intervention group patients up to the 6(th) month (p<0.05) not deteriorating for those surviving up to 12 months. Dyspnea decreased in patients of the intervention group 1 month post procedure remaining reduced for survivors over the 12th month. Patients of the control group had worse QoL and dyspnea in all time points. CONCLUSIONS: Interventional management of patients with mCAO, may achieve prolonged survival with sustained significant improvement of QoL and dyspnea.
Filippidis FT, Tzoulaki I, 2016, Greece giving up on tobacco control, Addiction, Vol: 111, Pages: 1306-1307, ISSN: 1360-0443
Filippidis FT, Laverty AA, 2016, Perceptions of opportunities for physical activity in 28 European countries., Preventive Medicine, Vol: 86, Pages: 136-140, ISSN: 1096-0260
INTRODUCTION: This study examined the relationship between perceptions of opportunities for physical activity in the local area and physical activity levels in European adults. METHODS: Data for 20,673 adults aged 18-64 were taken from the representative Eurobarometer survey (wave 80.2, 2013) of 28 European Union (EU) countries. Achieving recommended levels of physical activity and Metabolic Equivalent of Task-minutes (MET-mins) per week was constructed from self-reports of frequency and duration of walking, moderate and vigorous physical activity. Relationships between these outcomes and perceptions of opportunities for physical activity in the local area were assessed using logistic and linear regressions as appropriate; trends in these perceptions were measured between 2002 and 2013. RESULTS: Respondents stating that their local area offers opportunities for physical activity were more likely to meet recommended levels of physical activity (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]=1.56). Across all EU countries the percentage of people reporting that their local area offers these opportunities increased slightly between 2005 (71.4%) and 2013 (79.3%, p<0.001). Reporting that the local area offers opportunities for physical activity was associated with more moderate (17min/week) and vigorous (15min/week) physical activity and with 23 more minutes of walking per week. CONCLUSION: Perceptions of opportunities for physical activity in the local area were associated with increased levels of all types of physical activity. Despite small improvements in perceptions of opportunities in the local area over the past decade, a variety of further interventions will be required to reduce the disease burden resulting from low physical activity levels.
Agaku IT, Blecher E, Filippidis FT, et al., 2016, Impact of cigarette price differences across the entire European Union on cross-border purchase of tobacco products among adult cigarette smokers, Tobacco Control, Vol: 25, Pages: 333-340, ISSN: 0964-4563
Filippidis FT, 2016, Tobacco control: a victim of political instability in Greece, The Lancet, Vol: 387, Pages: 338-339, ISSN: 0140-6736
Filippidis FT, 2015, Emigrating young physicians leave Greece with an aging health workforce, JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Vol: 38, Pages: E587-E587, ISSN: 1741-3842
Agaku IT, Omaduvie UT, Filippidis FT, et al., 2015, Cigarette design and marketing features are associated with increased smoking susceptibility and perception of reduced harm among smokers in 27 EU countries, TOBACCO CONTROL, Vol: 24, Pages: E233-E240, ISSN: 0964-4563
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- Citations: 46
Filippidis FT, Agaku IT, Girvalaki C, et al., 2015, Relationship of secondhand smoke exposure with sociodemographic factors and smoke-free legislation in the European Union, European Journal of Public Health, Vol: 26, Pages: 344-349, ISSN: 1464-360X
Filippidis FT, Agaku IT, Vardavas CI, 2015, The association between peer, parental influence and tobacco product features and earlier age of onset of regular smoking among adults in 27 European countries, EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Vol: 25, Pages: 814-818, ISSN: 1101-1262
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- Citations: 33
Filippidis F, Agaku I, Vardavas C, 2015, The association between peer, parental and tobacco product features and earlier age of onset of regular smoking among adults in 27 European countries, Publisher: EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY SOC JOURNALS LTD, ISSN: 0903-1936
Filippidis F, Agaku I, Vardavas C, 2015, Perceived ease of access to tobacco and support of total ban of tobacco among people aged 15-24 years old in 27 European countries, Publisher: EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY SOC JOURNALS LTD, ISSN: 0903-1936
Agaku I, Omaduvie U, Vardavas C, et al., 2015, Cannabis use is associated with reduced harm perception towards illicit drugs and experimentation with new psychoactive substances among European adolescents and young adults, Publisher: EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY SOC JOURNALS LTD, ISSN: 0903-1936
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- Citations: 2
Gerovasili V, Agaku IT, Vardavas CI, et al., 2015, Levels of physical activity among adults 18-64 years old in 28 European countries., Preventive Medicine, Vol: 81, Pages: 87-91, ISSN: 1096-0260
BACKGROUND: Sedentary lifestyle is associated with more than three million deaths annually. Data from the 2013 Eurobarometer survey were analysed to assess levels of physical activity across the European Union (EU) and to explore factors associated with adequate and high physical activity. METHODS: A representative sample of n=19,978 individuals aged 18-64 years from the 28 EU countries (sub-sample of the Eurobarometer survey, wave 80.2) was analysed. Frequency and average duration of walking, moderate and vigorous physical activity was assessed with a self-reported questionnaire. Participants were then classified as physically inactive or adequately/highly active, based on the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendations. The total amount of MET-minutes (MET-mins) per week was also calculated for each respondent. RESULTS: The proportion of physically inactive individuals was 28.6%, (12.4% in Sweden to 53.7% in Cyprus), while 59.1% of the respondents (37.9% in Portugal and Cyprus to 72.2% in Sweden) were classified as highly active. The mean total weekly physical activity was 2,151 MET-mins (95%CI: 2,095-2,206), of which 891 MET-mins (95%CI: 858-924) were contributed by vigorous exercise, 559 MET-mins (95%CI: 540-578) by moderate exercise (excluding walking) and 690 MET-mins (95%CI: 673-706) by walking. Male gender, younger age, residence in rural areas and Northern Europe, higher education level and ability to pay bills were independently associated with higher physical activity. CONCLUSION: One fourth of the EU population did not meet the WHO recommendations for physical activity, with wide inequalities between and within countries. Wide-reaching environmental approaches are required to promote physical activity and address these inequalities.
Filippidis FT, Schwartz SM, Becker N, et al., 2015, Association of history of allergies and influenza-like infections with laryngeal cancer in a case-control study, EUROPEAN ARCHIVES OF OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGY, Vol: 272, Pages: 2063-2069, ISSN: 0937-4477
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- Citations: 4
Filippidis FT, Agaku IT, Vardavas CI, 2015, Geographic variation and socio-demographic determinants of the co-occurrence of risky health behaviours in 27 European Union member states., Journal of Public Health, Vol: 38, Pages: e13-e20, ISSN: 1741-3850
BACKGROUND: Risky health behaviours such as tobacco and alcohol abuse, physical inactivity and poor diet may play an important role in disease development. The aim of the present study was to assess the geographical distribution and socio-demographic determinants of risky health-related behaviours in 27 member states (MSs) of the European Union (EU). METHODS: Data from the 2009 Eurobarometer survey (wave 72.3; n = 26 788) were analysed. Tobacco use, alcohol consumption, physical activity and fruit consumption were assessed through a self-reported questionnaire provided to participants from 27 EU MSs. Within the analyses, participants with three or more lifestyle risk factors were classified as individuals with co-occurrence of risk factors. RESULTS: Among respondents aged 15 or older, 28.2% had none of the aforementioned behavioural risk factors, whereas 9.9% had three or more lifestyle risk factors. Males [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.50; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 2.17-2.88] and respondents of middle (aOR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.36-1.89) or lower income (aOR = 2.63; 95% CI: 2.12-3.26) were more likely to report co-occurrence of behavioural risk factors, as well as respondents in Northern (aOR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.14-1.78), Western (aOR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.06-1.56) and Eastern Europe (aOR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.06-1.55), when compared with Southern European respondents. CONCLUSIONS: The above analyses indicate significant geographical and social variation in the distribution of the co-occurrence of behavioural risk factors for disease development.
Agaku IT, Awopegba AJ, Filippidis FT, 2015, The impact of inter-survey differences in the definition of current smokeless tobacco use on comparability of US national and state-specific prevalence estimates, 2009-2011, PREVENTIVE MEDICINE, Vol: 74, Pages: 86-92, ISSN: 0091-7435
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- Citations: 9
Siempos II, Ntaidou TK, Filippidis FT, et al., 2015, Effect of early versus late or no tracheostomy on mortality and pneumonia of critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation: a systematic review and meta-analysis, The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, Vol: 3, Pages: 150-158, ISSN: 2213-2600
BackgroundDelay of tracheostomy for roughly 2 weeks after translaryngeal intubation of critically ill patients is the presently recommended practice and is supported by findings from large trials. However, these trials were suboptimally powered to detect small but clinically important effects on mortality. We aimed to assess the benefit of early versus late or no tracheostomy on mortality and pneumonia in critically ill patients who need mechanical ventilation.MethodsWe systematically searched PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, DOAJ, the Cochrane Library, references of relevant articles, scientific conference proceedings, and grey literature up to Aug 31, 2013, to identify randomised controlled trials comparing early tracheostomy (done within 1 week after translaryngeal intubation) with late (done any time after the first week of mechanical ventilation) or no tracheostomy and reporting on mortality or incidence of pneumonia in critically ill patients under mechanical ventilation. Our primary outcomes were all-cause mortality during the stay in the intensive-care unit and incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Mortality during the stay in the intensive-care unit was a composite endpoint of definite intensive-care-unit mortality, presumed intensive-care-unit mortality, and 28-day mortality. We calculated pooled odds ratios (OR), pooled risk ratios (RR), and 95% CIs with a random-effects model. All but complications analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis.FindingsAnalyses of 13 trials (2434 patients, 648 deaths) showed that all-cause mortality in the intensive-care unit was not significantly lower in patients assigned to the early versus the late or no tracheostomy group (OR 0·80, 95% CI 0·59–1·09; p=0·16). This result persisted when we considered only trials with a low risk of bias (511 deaths; OR 0·80, 95% CI 0·59–1·09; p=0·16; eight trials with 1934 patients). Incidence of vent
Schmickl CN, Mastrobuoni S, Filippidis FT, et al., 2015, Male-Predominant Plasma Transfusion Strategy for Preventing Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury: A Systematic Review, CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE, Vol: 43, Pages: 205-225, ISSN: 0090-3493
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- Citations: 29
Agaku IT, Filippidis FT, Vardavas CI, 2015, Effectiveness of Text versus Pictorial Health Warning Labels and Predictors of Support for Plain Packaging of Tobacco Products within the European Union, EUROPEAN ADDICTION RESEARCH, Vol: 21, Pages: 47-52, ISSN: 1022-6877
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- Citations: 18
Filippidis FT, Schoretsaniti S, Dimitrakaki C, et al., 2014, Trends in cardiovascular risk factors in Greece before and during the financial crisis: the impact of social disparities, EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Vol: 24, Pages: 974-979, ISSN: 1101-1262
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- Citations: 40
Filippidis FT, Agaku IT, Vardavas CI, et al., 2014, The association between economic recession and public support for increased tobacco taxation in 27 European countries, SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Vol: 42, Pages: 589-592, ISSN: 1403-4948
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- Citations: 4
Agaku IT, Odukoya OO, Olufajo O, et al., 2014, Support for smoke-free cars when children are present: a secondary analysis of 164,819 US adults in 2010/2011, EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS, Vol: 173, Pages: 1459-1466, ISSN: 0340-6199
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- Citations: 6
Schoretsaniti S, Filippidis FT, Vardavas CI, et al., 2014, Prevalence and determinants of SHS exposure in public and private areas after the 2010 smoke-free legislation in Greece, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH, Vol: 24, Pages: 401-411, ISSN: 0960-3123
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- Citations: 5
Filippidis FT, Gerovasili V, Majeed A, 2014, Association between cardiovascular risk factors and measurements of blood pressure and cholesterol in 27 European countries in 2009, PREVENTIVE MEDICINE, Vol: 67, Pages: 71-74, ISSN: 0091-7435
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- Citations: 7
Olusunmade M, Obaitan I, Filippidis F, et al., 2014, Tobacco and marijuana co-use among high school students in the US using the YRBSS (2009&2011), Publisher: EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY SOC JOURNALS LTD, ISSN: 0903-1936
Obaitan I, Olusunmade M, Agaku I, et al., 2014, Predictors of concurrent tobacco and prescription drug abuse among high school students in the United States 2009-2011; A secondary analysis of 31,835 adolescentse, Publisher: EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY SOC JOURNALS LTD, ISSN: 0903-1936
Ischaki E, Litsiou E, Saltagianni V, et al., 2014, Early COPD diagnosis during a smoking cessation (SC) program increases smoking cessation rates, Publisher: EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY SOC JOURNALS LTD, ISSN: 0903-1936
Alpert HR, Vardavas CI, Chaloupka FJ, et al., 2014, The recent and projected public health and economic benefits of cigarette taxation in Greece, TOBACCO CONTROL, Vol: 23, Pages: 452-454, ISSN: 0964-4563
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- Citations: 93
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