[Smoking of in-patients].
OBJECTIVE
To asses the knowledge and attitude about smoking habit of in-patients in order to detect the sanitary activities that could help to decrease the prevalence of smoking.


METHODS
Cross-sectional observational study of random sample (n=395) of in-patients of University Hospital Virgen Macarean, Seville, Spain. Participation rate was 89% (n=350) and the interviewer-administered questionnaire was completed with epidemiological and clinical additional data.


RESULTS
Sixty per cent of in-patients were smokers or former smokers. There were statistically significant differences in smoking distribution by age, gender, education, socio-economic level and admission diagnosis. Etiologic relationships between tobacco smoking and lung cancer or chronic lung disease were known by more than 90% of in-patients but other smokings health effects were not so well known: larynx (86%), oesophagus (86%) and oral cavity (81%) cancer, coronary heart disease (82%) and low birthweight (78%). Forty-five per cent of smokers began to smoke before the age of 15 and an additional 40% at 15-19 year. Forty-six per cent of smokers tried to leave this habit without success in spite of receiving medical advice of leaving smoking (61%) and the recommendations of family and friends (60%).


CONCLUSIONS
Preventive campaigns against tobacco smoking must include pharmacological and psicological treatment for current smokers because an important proportion of them try to leave this habit without success.
Nieto García
M A
MA
Facultad de Medicina. Universidad de Sevilla. Servicio Andaluz de Salud. Sevilla, Spain.
Abdel-Kader Martín
L
L
Rosado Martín
M M
MM
Carriazo Pérez de Guzmán
A
A
Arias Jiménez
J L
JL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires