Health Workers' Practice Towards Smoking Cessation Intervention Based on 5A's Model and Associated Factors in Public Hospitals, Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Healthcare providers' knowledge, attitudes and practices on smoking cessation intervention in the Northern Cape

Background

Clinicians are crucial in encouraging smokers to quit through behavioural or pharmacological smoking cessation interventions. Smokers quit better with professional help. The level of healthcare providers' (HCPs) knowledge, attitudes and counselling skills related to effective smoking cessation support in the study area remains uncertain.

Aim

The study aimed to determine HCPs' knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) on smoking cessation intervention strategies in the Sol Plaatje district, Northern Cape.

Setting

Sol Plaatje's 13 district municipality clinics, Kimberley, Northern Cape.

Method

A descriptive, cross-sectional analytical study involving healthcare workers in the above setting.

Results

A total of 165 HCPs, including medical officers, professional nurses, enrolled nurses and assistant-enrolled nurses working in primary healthcare clinics, were invited to participate in the study, with 156 completing the questionnaires. About 53.9% had no knowledge of South African tobacco smoking cessation guidelines, while 87.2% knew the importance of counselling patients about smoking and its impact on quitting. The majority of them did not know the medicines recommended for tobacco treatment in South Africa. About 89.7% expressed that smoking cessation counselling is an important part of their jobs. However, less than half indicated that they make follow-up arrangements for those attempting to quit.

Conclusion

The study revealed gaps in KAP regarding smoking cessation among the respondents, necessitating the need for continuing education on the existing smoking cessation guidelines among these HCPs.

Contribution

The results of this study will help to improve smoking cessation intervention knowledge among health providers.

Barriers and Facilitators for Smoking Cessation in Chinese Smokers with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Qualitative Study

Background

Smoking cessation is recommended as a key intervention for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) smokers. However, in China, few COPD smokers quit successfully. The aim of this study was to explore in depth the barriers and facilitators for smoking cessation among smokers with COPD in China.

Methods

A purposive sample of 32 hospitalized smokers with COPD were included, 17 ex-smokers and 15 current smokers, participated in the semi-structured interviews. Interviews were analyzed thematically and using a deductive approach guided by Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) framework.

Results

Three inter-related themes were generated: smokers’ motivation was a prerequisite for quitting, maintaining capability to quit smoking, and opportunities that facilitated smokers to quit. Motivation to quit for most participants was activated by COPD-related symptoms, although they had a limited knowledge of COPD. Physical benefits from quitting and strong willpower were facilitators for maintaining quitting, while exposure to smoking environment and strong addiction to nicotine were frequent reasons for relapse. Most ex-smokers quit smoking by their own willpower rather than professionally delivered smoking cessation interventions. Smokers’ attitudes toward these interventions depended on their effectiveness and convenience. Very few participants had experienced pharmacotherapy or behavioral support from physicians. However, interviewees preferred auricular acupressure to pharmacotherapy.

Conclusion

Motivation to quit among smokers with COPD was usually initiated by COPD-related symptoms. Physical benefits observed by quitting and strong willpower facilitated smoking cessation, while exposure to smoking environment and strong addiction to nicotine led to relapse. COPD smokers in China preferred auricular acupressure to pharmacotherapy.