Smoking habits among physicians in Istanbul and their attitudes regarding anti-smoking legislation

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, İstanbul’da çalışan hekimlerin sigara ile ilişkili inançları, davranışları ve sigara karşıtı yasa ile ilgili bilgileri hakkında bilgi edinmeyi amaçladık. İstanbul Tabip Odası (İTO) üyesi olan 18.000 hekime gönderilen anketten 374’ü anketi gönüllü olarak doldurmayı kabul etti. Bu hekimlerden 250 (%66.8)’si erkek, 124 (%33.2)’ü kadındı. Üç yüz yetmiş dört hekimden 60 (%16)’ı sigara içmekteydi ve bunların 42 (%70)’si erkek, 18 (%30)’i kadındı. Sigara içmenin ciddi bir sağlık problemi olduğunu, sigara içen hekimlerin %91.5’i, sigara içmeyen hekimlerin ise %98.4’ü düşünüyordu. Hastaların sigara içme alışkanlıklarını sigara içen hekimlerin %70.7’si, sigara içmeyen hekimlerin %91.1’i sorguluyordu. Aralarındaki fark istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulundu (sırasıyla, p= 0.012 ve p= 0.00). Hastalarını sigara bırakma merkezlerine sigara içen hekimlerin %25’i, sigara içmeyen hekimlerin %34.5’i gönderirken, farmakolojik tedavinin etkili olduğunu sigara içen hekimlerin %21.7’si, sigara içmeyen hekimlerin ise %28.8’si düşünüyordu. Aralarındaki fark istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulunmadı (sırasıyla, p= 0.167 ve p= 0.262). Çalışmamız, hekimlerin tütün bağımlılığı tedavileri ve tütün kullanımı ile ilgili yasa hakkında bilgilerinin yetersiz olduğunu göstermektedir. Sigara ve sigara bırakma tekniklerinin fakülte ve mezuniyet sonrası eğitimin bir parçası olarak daha ayrıntılı uygulanması gerektiğini düşünmekteyiz.

The purpose of this study was to analyze smoking related beliefs, attitudes and knowledge on anti-smoking legislation among physicians practicing in Istanbul, Turkey. Questionnaires were sent to 18.000 physicians who were also members of Istanbul Chamber of Medicine. Three hundred-seventy and four physicians responded. Two hundred-fifty of the respondents were males (66.8%) and 124 were females (33.2%). Sixty out of 374 physicians were smokers. Eighteen of them (30%) were females, 42 of them (70%) were males. 91.5% of physicians who smoked tobacco and 98.4% of non-smoker physicians agreed that smoking is a serious health issue. 91.1% of nonsmoker physicians and 70.7% of smokers asked their patients about their smoking habits. The difference between smokers and non-smokers was statistically significant in both comparisons (p= 0.012 and p= 0.00, respectively). 25% of smoking physicians and 34.5% of non-smokers referred their patients to smoking cessation centers. 21.7% of smoking physicians and 28.8% of non-smokers believed in the success of pharmacological therapy. The difference between smokers and non-smokers was statistically non significant (p= 0.167 and p= 0.262, respectively). This results suggests that physicians have insufficient knowledge on smoking cessation therapies and the law regarding the use of tobacco and that smoking cessation techniques should be incorporated in the curriculum of the faculties and post graduation training programs.91.5 % of physicians who smoked tobacco and 98.4% of non-smoker physicians agreed that smoking is a serious health issue. 91.1% of nonsmoker physicians and 70.7 % of smokers asked their patients about their smoking habits. The difference between smokers and non-smokers was statistically significant in both comparisons (p=0.012 and p=0.00, respectively). 25 % of smoking physicians and 34.5% of non smokers referred their patients to smoking cessation centers. 21.7% of smoking physicians and 28.8% of non-smokers believed in the success of pharmacological therapy. The difference between smokers and non-smokers was statistically non significant (p=0.167 and p=0.262, respectively). This results suggests that physicians have insufficient knowledge on smoking cessation therapies and the law regarding the use of tobacco and that smoking cessation techniques should be incorporated in the curriculum of the faculties and post graduation training programs.