The impact of wartime factors on harmful habits among the adult population depending on their psycho-emotional state.

OBJECTIVE

Aim: To analyse patterns of alcohol and tobacco consumption among adult Ukrainians, including variations based on their psycho-emotional state, using an anonymous survey conducted during martial law.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Materials and

Methods

The study employed an online survey based on the "Study of Eating Behaviour and Health Status of the Ukrainian Population" questionnaire. The final sample comprised 1,101 adult Ukrainian respondents: 212 (19,3%) men and 889 (80,7%) women, with a mean age of 36 } 13 years. Participants were divided into Group I (n = 400; 36,3%) - adults with probable PTSD, and Group II (n = 701; 63,7%) - without signs of probable PTSD.

RESULTS

Results

The study revealed a high prevalence of harmful habits among adults (nearly 80,0% consumed alcohol and 30,0% smoked). Respondents with probable PTSD symptoms were 2.5 times more likely to report increased alcohol consumption (34,0% vs. 13,5%; p < 0,001) and 1.5 times more likely to report increased smoking (65,0% vs. 45,0%; p = 0.009) compared with those without such symptoms. Only 7,0% of alcohol consumers and 32,4% of regular smokers who had visited a doctor in the past year reported receiving advice to quit these habits.

CONCLUSION

Conclusions

The onset of the full-scale war in Ukraine has negatively affected adult lifestyles, notably increasing alcohol and tobacco use. Most respondents with harmful habits reported not receiving medical advice on reducing or quitting them.