[Characteristics of smoking, nicotine dependence and motivation for change in specialists training in health sciences (residents) in Andalusia (Spain)]

Nicotine Dependence and Factors Related to Smoking Cessation among Physicians in Estonia

Smoking withdrawal can be difficult due to nicotine dependence (ND). The study objective was to describe ND and to analyze the association between ND and factors related to smoking cessation among daily smoking physicians in Estonia. Data was collected in 2014, using cross-sectional postal survey sampling all practicing physicians (n = 5666) in Estonia, of whom 2939 responded (corrected response rate 53.1%). The study sample was restricted to daily smoking physicians (n = 171). Results of the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) were described and ND scores calculated. Logistic regression was used to determine the association of ND (at-least-moderate vs. low) with factors related to smoking cessation. Crude and fully adjusted ORs with 95% CIs were calculated. The mean FTND score was 2.8 ± 2.1. The odds of having at-least-moderate ND decreased significantly with each year postponing smoking initiation (OR = 0.82, 95% CI 0.72–0.94). After adjustment, ND was no longer associated with the desire to quit smoking and motives to quit. In conclusion, more than half of daily smoking physicians had low ND. Higher ND was associated with younger age of smoking initiation. Knowledge of ND and factors related to smoking cessation is useful in the prevention of smoking and in development of cessation counselling tailored for physicians.

Prevalence of tobacco consumption among young physicians at a regional university hospital in southern Spain: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

The aim of the study is to analyse the prevalence of smoking among resident physicians at a regional university hospital. In addition, we examined the trends in the smoking behaviour of physicians in relation to results obtained in other studies carried out previously at this hospital, as well as those published nationally and internationally METHOD: A cross-sectional observational study evaluating tobacco consumption in young physicians was carried out at the level of secondary healthcare in a regional university hospital in Cordoba, Spain. All the study subjects were resident physicians who underwent a mandatory preliminary occupational health examination between 2012 and 2016. There was no sampling selection as anyone who took this examination was considered to be within the target population. We calculated the proportions of smokers, former smokers and non-smokers, with 95% CIs. Univariate and multivariate analyses (binary logistic regression) were used to analyse the results (P<0.05).

RESULTS

The response rate was 99.4%, with a sample size of 324 out of a possible 326 physicians. The average age was 28.6±3.7-DT-(95% CI 28.2 to 29.0), and 62.3% (202/324; 95% CI 57.3 to 67.2) were women. Smoking prevalence was 6.5% (21/324; 95% CI 3.5 to 9.3) with a further 5.2% (17/324; 95% CI 2.7 to 7.8) being ex-smokers. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of tobacco consumption according to age (P=0.266), sex (9.0% for men and 5.0% for women; P=0.128), medical specialty (P=0.651) or year of residency (P=0.975). A 52.7% decline in the number of young physician smokers was noted between 1986 and 2016 (95% CI -44.0 to -63.5), together with a 64.4% increase in non-smokers (95% CI 55.2 to 77.3).

CONCLUSIONS

We observed a significantly low prevalence of tobacco use among trainee physicians in the cohort, an effect of new antismoking laws, with positive role model implications for new physicians and medical students.