Comparison of knowledge, attitudes and behaviour regarding smoking among Estonian and Finnish physicians.
OBJECTIVE
To compare smoking behaviour, attitudes and opinions towards smoking and smoking cessation among Estonian and Finnish physicians.


METHODS
A cross-sectional postal survey using a self-administered questionnaire was carried out among 2,480 Estonian and 2,075 Finnish physicians.


RESULTS
Daily smoking prevalence was higher among Estonian physicians than among their Finnish counterparts in both male (18.6% and 6.7%) and female (6.6% and 3.6%). Compared to Estonia, physicians in Finland more often agreed that smoking is very harmful to their health, that trying to convince people to stop smoking is their responsibility and that smoking prevention should be part of the normal and special training of health professionals. In both countries, non-smoking physicians held more unfavourable attitudes towards smoking than those who were smoking.


CONCLUSIONS
Physicians' own smoking patterns and quitting behaviour are important because physicians serve as models for their patients and play a key role in the reinforcement of smoke-free health facilities. These results remain a challenge to medical educators, especially in Estonia. Estonia needs to improve medical education in terms of motivating physicians to ask about the smoking patterns of their patients and of training medical students and resident physicians to counsel their patients to stop smoking.
Pärna
Kersti
K
Department of Public Health, University of Tartu, Estonia. kersti.parna@ut.ee
Rahu
Kaja
K
Barengo
Noël C
NC
Rahu
Mati
M
Sandström
Patrick H
PH
Jormanainen
Vesa J
VJ
Myllykangas
Markku T
MT
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004501:Education, Medical; D004957:Estonia; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires