CHANGES OF SMOKING-HABITS AND BELIEFS DURING NURSE TRAINING - A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY

This prospective cohort study has been performed to evaluate the chang es in student nurses smoking habits and beliefs during their training. The source of information was an anonymous questionnaire about tobacc o smoking, administered to students who entered the first year of Scho ol of Nursing in Florence in 1991-1992, 1992-1993 and 1993-1994. Five hundred and thirty-six (95%) of these student nurses completed the que stionnaire, Five hundred and one (93%) of these 536 respondents comple ted the questionnaire again at the end of the third (final) year of tr aining. Student nurses who smoked increased the average number of ciga rettes smoked per day (p < 0.01) and the degree of dependence to nicot ine (p < 0.01). Tobacco smoking remained widespread and the percentage of ex-smokers who started smoking again increased (p < 0.05). The kno wledge about the health hazards due to tobacco smoking remained generi c and the prevalence of current smokers among student nurses and healt h care workers was overestimated. We conclude that Nursing School does not succeed in reducing the smoking habits of students. Effective ant itobacco strategies and smoking cessation services still need be organ ized in Italy.