Frequency of smoking use of nurses and social perspective

Aim: To determine the prevalence of smoking among nurses and the factors affecting it, to determine smoking initiation and quitting behaviors, and to determine the society's perspective on smoking according to nurses. Materials and Methods: The research is cross-sectional. It was conducted on nurses in a research and practice hospital between 15 May and 15 June 2023. The population of the study consisted of 1218 nurses. The minimum sample size was calculated as 293 people within the 95% confidence limits using the "http://openepi.com" program and the expected frequency of 50±5%. With systematic sampling, one in every four nurses from all departments of the hospital was included in the study, and 294 people were reached in this way. Using literature information, Fageström nicotine addiction tests were applied with a personal information form consisting of questions about socio-demographic information, tobacco product use status and social perspective on smoking. Researcher data was collected by face-to-face interview. Result: The smoking rate of nurses is 38.7%. It is 43.5% in men and 33.6% in women. The smoking rate for those under the age of 25 is 31.9%, and the rate for those aged 45+ is 59.1%. According to 92.8% of nurses, smoking is harmful to health and addictive. The nicotine addiction rate was high, very high, at 40.9%. The rate of those who quit smoking is 5.4%. It has been determined that the society regards smoking as normal, that smoking is not a normal behavior, that there is no social reaction, that smoking bans are not a deterrent, and that smoking bans are not adequately adhered to. Conclusion: The prevalence of smoking among nurses is high. The most important reason to start is peer influence. The smoking rate is high and the quitting rate is low. Age, the presence of smokers at home, the influence of religion, the fact that it is harmful to health, and the fact that it is seen as a normal behavior affect smoking. Nurses have high nicotine addiction rates. The most important factors affecting quitting smoking are; There were health problems and the influence of the family. According to nurses, society regards smoking as normal and does not react negatively. KeyWords: Tobacco, Cigarette, Nurse, Society, Social perspective, Smoking