Knowledge, attitudes and behaviors about smoking cessation treatment and the frequency of smoking among family physicians

Tobacco use is one of the most important preventable health problems in the world. Deaths caused by tobacco use continue to increase each year. Physicians and health workers should be in the forefront in fight with smoking. Thus, the purpose of our study is to identify the frequency of smoking among and to examine the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of family physicians about smoking cessation treatment. The study was conducted with the participation of four hundred and one family medicine specialists and family physician certified practitioner physicians working in family medicine departments, selected by a stratified sampling method of power analysis from all seven geographical regions of our country. A questionnaire was administered to family physicians which consisted of fifty five questions including Fagerström Nicotine Dependence Test (a-six question test), to evaluate descriptive features, knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of family physicians. The prevalence of smoking among family physicians was found to be 30.9%. Despite this high level, it was found that physicians's smoking status was not significantly affecting the knowledge, attitudes and behavior about smoking cessation treatment. The fact that family physicians being trained about smoking cessation treatment has been found to have a significant effect on knowledge, attitude and behavior. Despite the legislation and measures taken in the world and in Turkey, tobacco smoking still remains as a major problem. In the fight with the tobacco smoking, there are many important tasks especially for the family physicians who have the most chance of encountering with the patients.