The impact of wartime factors on harmful habits among the adult population depending on their psycho-emotional state
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STATE INSTITUTION «UKRAINIAN CENTER OF MATERNITY AND CHILDHOOD OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES OF UKRAINE», KYIV, UKRAINE
Publication date: 2025-11-30
Wiadomości Lekarskie 2025;(11):2362-2368
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
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.
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: 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.
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.