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Smoking prevalence remains high in Europe and widening socioeconomic group differences are driving health inequalities. While plain packaging policies disrupt tobacco industry tactics that sustain smoking, evidence of their equity impact is sparse. This study evaluated the implementation of plain packaging in Ireland in 2018 on consumer responses, overall and by the socioeconomic group. Consecutive nationally representative cross-sectional surveys (2018, n  = 7701 and 2019, n  = 7382) measured changes in 13 consumer responses among respondents who smoked across three domains: product appeal, health warnings effectiveness, and perceived harmfulness of smoking. Multiple logistic regression-derived adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals to compare responses post- versus pre-implementation adjusting for age, gender, educational level, and heaviness of smoking. A stratified analysis examined changes by socioeconomic group indexed using educational level. There were statistically significant changes in consumer responses to plain packaging policy implementation across 7/13 outcomes studied. Five changes were aligned with expected policy impacts (2/6 product appeal outcomes and 3/4 health warning effectiveness outcomes). Two responses were also observed which were not expected policy impacts (1 appeal-related and 1 perceived harm-related outcome). There was no change in five outcomes. Differences in consumer responses between educational groups were generally small, mixed in nature, and indistinguishable when interval estimates of effect were compared. Implementation of plain packaging in Ireland had intended impacts on consumer responses. Including plain packaging requirements in revising the European Union's legislative frameworks for tobacco control will help build progress towards a Tobacco-Free Europe without exacerbating smoking inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Financial incentives to stop smoking (FISS) programs have been implemented internationally to encourage people who smoke to quit smoking. However, such programs require that the financial reward structure and its resulting effects on smoking quit rates are considered. We analyzed a number of scenarios for FISS reward schedules for current smoking individuals in Ireland, with a view to identify the potential implications in terms of financial consequences and expected effects. Methods: Using national QuitManager services data 2021–2023, we defined smoking quit rates for smokers currently using the national Health Services Executive stop smoking services in Ireland. Smoking quit rates at 4, 12 and 52 weeks were defined, and additionally defined by sex, age and education level. Using scenarios assuming different FISS reward sizes, structures and targeted population sub-groups, we estimated the number of additional quitters, budget impact, and incremental costeffectiveness ratio. Results: A FISS program, if implemented for a cohort of 3500 smokers can result in a budget impact ranging €250000 – €870000. The cost-effectiveness trade-off between different payment schedules and the expected effect size suggested that FISS are cost-effective even at a moderate effect size. A FISS program implemented to approximately 20000 smokers nationally would cost between €2.0 million and €4.8 million, subject to the chosen reward schedule. Across social groups, FISS is more cost-effective for females, individuals in the youngest age group, and individuals with a medium level of education. Conclusions: This analysis highlights the importance of considering different FISS schedules and potential quit effects, when designing such programs. We highlight that FISS programs should be targeted at certain social groups to achieve highest long-term smoking cessation rates. We also identified important challenges that decision-makers face when designing the reward structure of FISS programs. The acceptability or otherwise of the FISS structures may differ among stakeholders and should be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Injuries are common in collegiate Gaelic games, and negative psychological responses to injury, such as fear avoidance and a lack of psychological readiness to return to sport, can affect players during their rehabilitation and their subsequent return to sport. Thus, identifying these responses in players can allow clinicians to address these issues during rehabilitation. This study aimed to examine fear avoidance and psychological readiness to return to sport in collegiate Gaelic games players. Hypothesis: Collegiate Gaelic games players will experience similar levels of fear avoidance and psychological readiness to return to sport as other adult athletes. Study Design: Cohort study. Level of Evidence: Level 3. Methods: Male (n = 150) and female (n = 76) players from 1 Irish collegiate institution were recruited. Players that were injured over 1 collegiate season completed the Athlete Fear Avoidance Questionnaire (AFAQ) immediately after the injury and the Injury-Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport (I-PRRS) Scale once cleared to return to sport. An injury report form was also completed. The overall AFAQ (sum of 10 items) and I-PRRS (sum of 6 items/10) scores were calculated. Results: Seventy-three injuries (n = 73) occurred, and injured players had a mean overall AFAQ and I-PRRS score of 22.6 ± 5.3 and 46.4 ± 8.8, respectively. Just less than half (47.9%) of players were deemed psychologically unready to return to sport when cleared physically. After severe injuries, significantly higher overall AFAQ scores than mild injuries (P = 0.01) and lower overall I-PRRS than moderate injuries (P < 0.0001) was noted. For the overall scores, no gender differences were observed. Conclusion: Fear avoidance and lowered confidence levels before return to sport occurs in collegiate Gaelic games players similar to other student-athletes. Clinical Relevance: Identification of fear avoidance or low readiness to return to sport, particularly after serious injury, is important to implement psychosocial support during their rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although most young people are aware of the long‐term consequences of smoking, it has been shown that young smokers expect to give up before any health damage occurs. Little is known in an Irish context about the association between smoking and young people's current health. This could be helpful to help reduce smoking initiation and encouraging quitting. The study aimed to determine the association between smoking and health and well‐being indicators among Irish school‐aged children. Methods: The 2014 Irish Health Behaviour in School‐aged Children study was analysed, which comprised a random stratified sample of 9,623 schoolchildren (aged 10–18). The prevalence of eight self‐reported health complaints and two subjective well‐being measures were compared across strata classified by self‐reported smoking status using Pearson's chi square and independent t tests. Logistic regression and ordinal regression were used to control for age, gender, and social class. Results: A significantly larger proportion of smokers (p < .001) reported fair to poor health (32% versus 11% for non‐smokers), lower mean life satisfaction scores (6.2 compared with 7.5), and each of eight health complaints at least once a week (range = 25–50% compared with 15–21%). These patterns remained significant after adjusting for differences in age, gender, and social class profile (p < .001). Conclusions: The study demonstrates the potential of developing initiatives, which target smoking in adolescence as opposed to the longer term health effects of smoking which are well known. The findings can be utilized to counteract positive perceptions of smoking among schoolchildren. This, combined with providing supports to help children quit, may help achieve government targets to reduce smoking prevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]