title: [Minimal intervention in smoking in Spain].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the percentage of smokers who have been counseled by a physician to quit, among patients who visit a variety od specialist clinica; to identify the characteristics associated with a history of minimal intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  An anonymous survey of 501 patients over 14 years of age (230 men, 271 women; mean age of 51.4 yr) who were out patients in cardiology (61), neurology (68), digestive medicine (124), endocrinology (22), internal medicine (14), otorhinolaryngology (53) and dermatology (159) over a period of one week. The questionnaire asked if the patient smoked currently and if so, if a physician had ever recommended quitting. The association between a history or minimal intervention and other variables was evaluated using Spearman a correlation coefficient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1) One hundred fifteen (22.9%) were smokers. 2) Only 49 (42.6%) of the smokers reported that a physician had advised quitting and 66 (57.4%) reported that none had done so. 3) We found an association between a history of minimal intervention and older age (rs = -0.246; p = 0.008) and male sex (rs = 0.244; p = 0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The infrequency with which physicians counsel patients to quit in our setting suggests an urgent need for the Spanish health authorities to develop programs aimed at minimal intervention.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Valencia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carrión Valero
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Furest Carrasco
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pascual Izuel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marín Pardo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003376:Counseling; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013030:Spain