CIGARETTE-SMOKING - KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES AMONG MEXICAN PHYSICIANS

Objective. To determine the prevalence of the smoking habit among Mexi can physicians as well as some of their attitudes and information on s pecific issues concerning smoking. Material and methods. In 1993, a su rvey was carried out among 3568 physicians of the three major official health care institutions in Mexico City. A questionnaire designed for The Mexican National Survey of Addictions (ENA 1993) was used. Preval ence of cigarette smoking, age of onset, number of cigarettes per day; also information and attitudes concerning smoking were assessed. Resu lts. The mean age was 37, 66% were males. Of the 3,488 (98%) surveyed, 26.9% were smokers (62% daily), 20.6% were ex-smokers and 52.5% non-s mokers. There were differences related to age and sex (p < 0.05). Of d aily smokers, 36% smoked between 1 and 5 cigarettes. There was a signi ficant trend among ex-smokers that linked the time they had ceased smo king with the fear to start smoking again. Physicians were well inform ed of the relationship between cigarette smoking and lung cancer, Over 80% considered tobacco an addictive drug but only 65% were in favor o f banning smoking from their workplaces and over 10% were not aware th at it is forbidden to smoke inside health care facilities. Conclusions . These results differ from other studies that find the prevalence of smoking among physicians lower than in the general population. Our stu dy revealed a greater prevalence of the smoking habit among female phy sicians and the number of cigarettes smoked per day was greater than i n the general population regardless of sex.