Prevalence of cigarette smoking among employees of the Mexican National Institutes of Health

Objective. To determine the prevalence of cigarette smoking at the National Institutes of Health in Mexico (NIHM). Material and methods. A survey was performed among workers who voluntarily answered a questionnaire. Smokers w ere identified with two specific questions, and type of employment was clas sified as physicians, administrative staff, investigators and support perso nnel. Results. Total prevalence smoking was 28% (of 4422 answered questionn aires). It was significantly higher among females, among administrative sta ff, and common-law and separated workers. It was significantly higher at th e Mexican Institute of Psychiatry than at the remaining Institutes, even af ter adjusting for confounding. The prevalence was also higher among physici ans from the same Institute. Of the smokers, 46% do so in their work areas and 78% of them would like to quit. Conclusions. The prevalence of smokers at the NIHM is as high as in the general population and a broad educational program for tobacco control and prevention is needed.