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Author: Bokor Emőke – Anita (University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tîrgu-Mureș,

General Medicine, 6th year)

Supervisor: Dr. Germán - Salló Márta, assistant

professor UMF Tîrgu-Mureș, Department of Internal Medicine

Tobacco use among medical and nursing students

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1. Introduction• Smoking remains a serious threat to global health,

killing nearly 6 million people each year

• According to WHO more than 1.3 billion people smoke worldwide

• Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in our society

• 99% of all first- time tobacco use occurs by the age of 26

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Why is tobacco so harmful?

Tobacco smoke contains a mix of more than 7000

chemicals .About at least 250 is known that they are

harmful for our body.

Hundreds are toxic, more than 70 are

carcinogens.

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Health consequences of smoking• Tobacco is very addictive causing dependence,

tolerance and withdrawal• Cardiovascular diseases: atherosclerosis,

thrombosis, coronary heart disease, stroke• Cancer: lung, larynx, oropharynx, pancreas,

stomach, bladder, cervix• Respiratory diseases: COPD (chronic bronchitis,

emphysema)• Others: preterm delivery, tooth loss, cataract,

delayed wound healing

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Why do people/physicians smoke?

It is because they do not know or do not believe that smoking is harmful?

It is because they do not study this topic in their training?

Or it is because they

do not consider it

important?

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Tobacco use in RomaniaAccording to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, conducted in Romania in 2011.

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

Daily smoker Occasionalsmoker

34.90%

2.50%

14.50%

2.20%

Smoking status by gender

Male Female

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The AIM of this study was to determine the

prevalence of and attitudes towards

smoking among medical students since many of

physician’s personal habits and attitudes are

formed during their education.

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Methodology:

In March 2014 a self-administered survey was conducted at the University of Medicine and

Pharmacy of Târgu-Mureș using an adapted version of Global Health Professional Students

Survey (GHPSS) questionnaire.

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The questionnaire included the following topics:

•Demographics

•Prevalence of cigarette smoking and use of other tobacco products

•Desire to quit smoking

•Exposure to second-hand smoke

•Knowledge and attitudes toward smoking

•Training received in cessation counseling

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Results:We analyzed the data of 159 students enrolled in their first year of study.

•69 medical students

•90 nursing students

Among the respondents 81.13% were female and 18.87% were male,

98.74% were aged between 19 and 24 years.

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Smoking status among students:

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

Current-smokers

Former-smokers

Never-smokers

14.50%

23.18%

62.32%

25.56%

15.66%

58.78%

Smoking status by health profession

Medical students Nursing students

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The prevalence of MEDICAL STUDENTS’ tobacco use in Europe:

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Smoking habits:

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Smoking habits:

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

On theteritory of

theUniversity

In themain

building ofthe

University

22.15%

5.03%

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Attitudes towards tobacco control:

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Attitudes towards tobacco control:

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Conclusions:• Smoking prevalence among health-profession

students is high (>20%).• More than 30% of students think that physician’s

smoking status is influencing their ability in counseling smokers.

• More than three-fourth of students think that health care professionals should be role models for their patients and they have an important role in cessation counseling.

• The majority of students is supporting tobacco control policies.

• The majority of students is encouraging the implementation of a tobacco curricula in their training.

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Disclosure:

Fogarty Institute

and Davidson

University,

USA

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Personal contributions:

• Reading bibliography

• Collecting data

• Statistical analysis

• PowerPoint presentation

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Thank you for your attention!