Doctors In Turkey Smoke More SAHIN EM, OZER C, DAGDEVIREN N, AKTURK Z Trakya University Faculty of Medicine Department of Family Practice.

Doctors In Turkey Smoke More

SAHIN EM, OZER C, DAGDEVIREN N, AKTURK Z

Trakya University

Faculty of Medicine

Department of Family Practice

BACKGROUND

Smoking is a major health problem in Turkey. The smoking prevalence is 43,6%.

1988

☞ 25.000.000 smokers!

Medical practice of physicians may be affected by their life styles .

Physicians who smoke may have difficulty in promoting healthy behavior among their patients.

METHODS

Attitudes and behaviors of the doctors in Trakya University Hospital about smoking were EVALUATED a questionnaire.

The questionnaire consisted of 29 items.

Demographic parametersAssessing smoking habitsAssessing nicotine dependency

(Fagerström)Opinions about smoking cessation

counseling

The research was completed in May 2000 .

Descriptive Cross-sectional

Of 400 doctors in the hospital 132 participated.

Questionnaires were delivered and collected by students.

The results were analyzed in computer.

RESULTSDEMOGPHIC PARAMETERS

GENDER 72,5% male 27,5% female

AGE mean age 33,648,36 (min:24, max:64).

MARITAL STATUS 63,8%married, 34,4 % single 1,4% divorced.

GENDER

male%72

female%28

AGE

Age

656055504540353025

Nu

mb

er

of

ca

se

s

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Std. Dev = 8,36

Mean = 34

N = 132,00

MARITAL STATUS

divorced1%married

64%

single35%

ACADEMIC POSITION

12 professors (8,7%) 9 associate professors (6,5%) 24 assistant professors (17,4%) 10 specialists (7,2%) 83 residents (60,1%)

OCCUPATION

academics%33

residents%60

specialists%7

SMOKING HABITS

N %

Non-smokers 55 41,6

Ex-smokers 17 12,9

Smokers 60 45,5

TOTAL 132 100

SMOKING HABITS

0

10

20

30

40

50

% 41,6 12,9 45,5

non-smokers ex-smokers smokers

SMOKING DANSITY

4115N =

gender

malefemale

Mean +

- 1 S

E N

um

ber

of cig

are

ttes s

moked d

aily

20

19

18

17

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

PREFERED TYPE OF CIGARETTES

filtered %41

filtered light%59

WHEN THEY START SMOKING?

0

20

40

60

% 25,9 54,3 14,8 5

after graduation

facultyhigh

schoolprimary school

THE REASONS OF STARTING

32,4

26,7

12,79,9

74,2

7,1

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35P

eer

fact

or

Str

ess

Inte

rest

Imita

tion

Enj

oym

ent

Bor

edom

Oth

ers

STAGES of SMOKING CESSATION

N %

Precontemplation 31 40,8

Contemplation 4 5,3

Preparation 25 32,8

Action 6 7,9

Maintenance 10 13,2

TOTAL 76 100

Fagerström nicotine dependency test

N %

Minimally dependent 39 73,5

Moderately dependent 2 3,8

Highly dependent 12 22,7

Total 53 100,0

SMOKING CESSATION COUNSELING

Smoking related diseases

N %

All 82 77,4

>70% 9 8,5

30%-70% 5 4,7

<30% 5 4,7

None 5 4,7

TOTAL 106 100

SMOKING CESSATION COUNSELINGDiseases not related to smoking

N %

All 38 39,6

>70% 15 15,6

30%-70% 14 14,6

<30% 12 12,5

None 17 17,7

TOTAL 96 100

Physicians should give smoking cessation counseling in every visit.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

% 58,6 34,6 3,8 2,3 0,8

strongly agree

agree undecided disagreestrongly disagree

Smoking cessation counseling is a responsibility for every physician.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

% 33,8 58,6 1,5 4,5 1,5

strongly agree

agree undecided disagreestrongly disagree

I could manage smoking cessation counseling.

0

10

20

30

40

50

% 39,4 41,7 13,6 2,3 3

strongly agree

agree undecided disagreestrongly disagree

More physicians will provide smoking cessation counseling if they know there is an

effective tool for guiding to quit.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

% 51,9 33,8 6 6,8 1,5

strongly agree

agree undecided disagreestrongly disagree

In our hospital, there is a need for a special unit that provides smoking cessation counseling and treatment.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

% 67,9 23,7 6,1 0,8 1,5

strongly agree

agree undecided disagreestrongly disagree

Do you ask all your patients their smoking behavior?

%65

%35

yes no

ANTI-SMOKING LEGISLATION

• “Smoking is forbidden in closed public places”

What is the success rate of anti-smoking legislation in practice?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

ofice area hospital area educationalarea

Do you smoke in practice?

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

never

very rare

rare

often

% 56,5 12,9 19,4 4,8

never very rare rare often

CONCLUSIONS

Smoking prevalence in our research was found high as similar to previous trials made in Turkey

☞(45,5%) of the participants were smoking.

Smokersİzmir1981

Akgün 57%

Elazığ1988

Sezer 48%

Samsun1993

Önder 29,7%

İzmir1994

Öncel 48%

Manisa1999

Esen 41,5%

Edirne 2000

Şahin 45,5%

Non-smokers

Ex-smokers

Smokers

UK+Ireland 2000

Basnyat 53 37 10

Mexica 1997

Tapia-Conyer

52,5 20,6 26,9

Israel 1997

Samuels 66,3 17,9 15,8

Italy 1998

Zanetti 42 19 39

Bahrain 1999

Hamadeh 45,3 18,8 35,9

Turkey 2000

Sahin 41,6 12,9 45,5

The smoking prevalence of doctors in our research was same with the population

population doctors

43,6% 45,5%

Smoking cessation counseling rate is not enough because our participants don’t know much about it.

– “More physicians will provide smoking cessation counseling if they know there is an effective tool for guiding to quit“ (90% agreed)

There is a need for mobilizing tobacco control efforts.

Our study reveals the smoking prevalence of doctors in different ages, sexes and specialties.

It can be helpful in designing anti-tobacco efforts and assessing their efficacy.

We believe anti-tobacco efforts sould start with education of physicians.

Take Home Messages

• Turkish doctors smoke more than their collegues in the world

• They are not motivated to quit smoking

Doctors In Turkey Smoke More

SAHIN EM, OZER C, DAGDEVIREN N, AKTURK Z

Trakya University

Faculty of Medicine

Department of Family Practice