[Minimal intervention in smoking in Spain].
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.
Carrión Valero
F
F
Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Valencia.
Furest Carrasco
I
I
Pascual Izuel
J M
JM
Marín Pardo
J
J
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