Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity and Associated Diet-Related Behaviours and Habits in a Representative Sample of Adolescents in Greece.

Excessive body weight during adolescence represents a significant public health problem worldwide. Identifying factors associated with its development is crucial. We estimated the prevalence of overweight and obesity in a representative sample of 11, 13 and, 15-year-olds living in Greece and explored the association with diet-related behaviours and habits.

Univariable associations between a history of incarceration and HIV and HCV prevalence among people who inject drugs across 17 countries in Europe 2006 to 2020 - is the precautionary principle applicable?

BackgroundPeople who inject drugs (PWID) are frequently incarcerated, which is associated with multiple negative health outcomes.AimWe aimed to estimate the associations between a history of incarceration and prevalence of HIV and HCV infection among PWID in Europe.MethodsAggregate data from PWID recruited in drug services (excluding prison services) or elsewhere in the community were reported by 17 of 30 countries (16 per virus) collaborating in a European drug monitoring system (2006-2020; n = 52,368 HIV+/-; n = 47,268 HCV+/-).

Could the 2010 HIV outbreak in Athens, Greece have been prevented? A mathematical modeling study.

Introduction: In 2009 and 2010, Athens, Greece experienced a hepatitis C virus (HCV) and a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) outbreak among People Who Inject Drugs (PWID), respectively. The HCV outbreak was not detected, while that of HIV was identified in 2011. The integrated HIV-interventions, launched in early 2012, managed to reduce directly the HIV incidence and indirectly the HCV incidence.

Diet-Related Behaviors and Diet Quality among School-Aged Adolescents Living in Greece.

Prevalence of diet-related behaviors (i.e., breakfast consumption, eating with the family) and their association with a 17-point diet quality score, constructed on the basis of reported frequency (in days/week) of vegetable, fruit, sweets and sugar-sweetened beverages consumption, was investigated among 3525 adolescents (51.

A hepatitis C outbreak preceded the HIV outbreak among persons who inject drugs in Athens, Greece: Insights from a mathematical modelling study.

People who inject drugs (PWID) comprise one of the major transmission risk groups for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). In 2011, Athens experienced a large HIV outbreak among PWID. Significant public health interventions were implemented in response to the HIV outbreak.

The TOBg Tobacco Treatment Guidelines for Adolescents: A real-world pilot study.

Introduction: We conducted a pilot study to: 1) obtain feedback from prevention practitioners in terms of their satisfaction, knowledge, and self-efficacy following exposure to the Tobacco Treatment Guidelines for Adolescents (TOBg Guidelines); and 2) examine the effectiveness of a school-based intervention based on the TOBg Guidelines on quit rates among a sample of adolescent tobacco users.

Methods: Two parallel studies were conducted. In Study 1, prevention practitioners were exposed to a 1-day training in the TOBg Guidelines with assessment occurring before, immediately after, and at 6 months following the training.

Prevalence of youth gambling and potential influence of substance use and other risk factors throughout 33 European countries: first results from the 2015 ESPAD study.

Background And Aims: Although generally prohibited by national regulations, underage gambling has become popular in Europe, with relevant cross-country prevalence variability. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of underage gambling in Europe stratified by type of game and on-/off-line mode and to examine the association with individual and family characteristics and substance use.

Design: Our study used data from the 2015 European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) cross-sectional study, a survey using self-administered anonymous questionnaires.

HCV/HIV coinfection among people who inject drugs and enter opioid substitution treatment in Greece: prevalence and correlates.

Background: HCV/HIV coinfection in people who inject drugs is a public health issue, which presents a variety of challenges to healthcare providers. The determinants of HCV/HIV coinfection in this population are nonetheless not well known. The aim of the present study is to identify the factors associated with HCV/HIV coinfection in people who inject drugs and enter drug-related treatment.

Prevalence and correlates of electronic cigarette use among adolescents in Greece: a preliminary cross-sectional analysis of nationwide survey data.

Introduction: This study reports the prevalence of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among adolescents in Greece and explores how dual smokers of e-cigarettes and combustible (conventional) cigarettes differ from smokers of only combustible cigarettes across socio-demographic, familial, psychosomatic health and substance use characteristics.

Methods: Self-reports on smoking were collected from a nationally representative sample of 1320 15-year-old Greek students in the 2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were carried out with dependent variables a) lifetime smoking conventional cigarettes and b) lifetime e-cigarette use among lifetime smokers.

National income inequality and declining GDP growth rates are associated with increases in HIV diagnoses among people who inject drugs in Europe: a panel data analysis.

Background: There is sparse evidence that demonstrates the association between macro-environmental processes and drug-related HIV epidemics. The present study explores the relationship between economic, socio-economic, policy and structural indicators, and increases in reported HIV infections among people who inject drugs (PWID) in the European Economic Area (EEA).

Methods: We used panel data (2003-2012) for 30 EEA countries.

Adolescents' medicine use for headache: secular trends in 20 countries from 1986 to 2010.

Background: This study reports secular trends in medicine use for headache among adolescents in 20 countries from 1986 to 2010.

Methods: The international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey includes self-reported data about medicine use for headaches among nationally representative samples of 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds. We included 20 countries with data from at least three data collection waves, with a total of 380 129 participants.

Trends in the co-occurrence of tobacco and cannabis use in 15-year-olds from 2002 to 2010 in 28 countries of Europe and North America.

Background: Cannabis and tobacco use frequently co-occur. Adolescents who consume both substances experience more respiratory distress and psychosocial problems and are less likely to stop compared with those who use either tobacco or cannabis alone. This study examined time trends in tobacco and cannabis use among 15-year-olds in Europe and North America between 2002 and 2010.

Homelessness and Other Risk Factors for HIV Infection in the Current Outbreak Among Injection Drug Users in Athens, Greece.

Objectives. We examined HIV prevalence and risk factors among injection drug users (IDUs) in Athens, Greece, during an HIV outbreak. Methods.

Economic recession and emergence of an HIV-1 outbreak among drug injectors in Athens metropolitan area: a longitudinal study.

Background: During 2011, a dramatic increase (1600%) of reported HIV-1 infections among injecting drug users (IDUs) was noted in Athens, Greece. We herein assess the potential causal pathways associated with this outbreak.

Methods: Our study employed high resolution HIV-1 phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses.

Early Adolescent and Peer Drinking Homogeneity: Similarities and Differences Among European and North American Countries.

This study examined associations between perceived peer and adolescent alcohol use in European and North American countries. Self-reported monthly alcohol use and adolescents' report of their peers' alcohol use were assessed in nationally representative samples of students aged 11.5 and 13.

The medicine use and corresponding subjective health complaints among adolescents, a cross-national survey.

Background: Medicine use among children and young people is under-researched. Studies that investigated cross-national patterns in adolescents' medicine use practice are rare. This study aims to investigate adolescents' medicine use for corresponding health complaints in Europe and USA.

Decrease in adolescent cannabis use from 2002 to 2006 and links to evenings out with friends in 31 European and North American countries and regions.

Objective: To compare adolescent cannabis use between 2002 and 2006 and to investigate links to the frequency of evenings spent out with friends.

Design: The Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study, an international study carried out in collaboration with the World Health Organization/Europe.

Setting: A total of 31 mostly European and North American countries and regions.

Prevalence, patterns, and correlates of tranquilizer and sedative use among European adolescents.

Purpose: To examine the prevalence, patterns, and correlates of nonmedical use of tranquilizers or sedatives in 85,000 adolescent students from 31 European countries participating in the European School Survey on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) in 2003.

Methods: Surveys in each country followed a standardized protocol. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify sociodemographic and risk behavior correlates of medical and nonmedical tranquilizer or sedative use.

Family, school and health in children and adolescents: findings from the 2006 HBSC study in Greece.

The association between family, school and subjective health was examined in a large representative sample of Greek children and adolescents (N = 3034). We hypothesized that (a) family and school factors are associated with health, even after controlling for gender and economic status; (b) family and school factors are directly related to satisfaction with life and health complaints, but indirectly to self-rated health. According to the findings, family and school factors were related to subjective health, even though this relation was weakening with age.

Daily exercise and anabolic steroids use in adolescents: a cross-national European study.

Aim: The aim of this paper is to investigate the association between anabolic steroid (AS) use and intensive physical exercise among adolescents.

Design/setting: The 1999 cross-sectional European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD). Data collection by standardized methodology using anonymous self-administered questionnaires completed in the classroom.

Drug use in the general population of Greece over the last 20 years: results from nationwide household surveys.

The evolution of the drug use epidemic in Greece (prevalence and incidence of use of illicit drugs and illicit use of psychoactive pharmaceuticals) over a 20-year period is presented taking into account the sociocultural context and policies. Data were drawn from face-to-face household surveys carried out in 1984, 1998 and 2004 on national stratified probability samples of approximately 4,000 participants aged 12-65 years. After a large increase in lifetime illicit drug use prevalence from 4.

Economic and cultural correlates of cannabis use among mid-adolescents in 31 countries.

Aims: To examine cannabis use among mid-adolescents in 31 countries and associations with per-capita personal consumer expenditure (PCE), unemployment, peer factors and national rates of cannabis use in 1999. DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS AND MEASUREMENT: Nationally representative, self-report, classroom survey with 22 223 male and 24 900 female 15-year-olds. Country characteristics were derived from publicly available economic databases and previously conducted cross-national surveys on substance use.

Drunkenness among young people: a cross-national comparison.

Objective: International studies show a rise in drunkenness among young people in recent years. In this study the number of drunkenness occasions among 15-year old students in 22 countries is reported. The cross-national association between drunkenness, on the one hand, and the frequency of alcohol intake and the preference for distilled spirits, on the other, is described.