[Survey among GP's about their smoking habits, opinions and behaviours in smoking prevention in Lombardy (Northern Italy)].
OBJECTIVE
to analyze smoking habits, opinions on smoking, curriculum and smoking prevention activities carried out by general practitioners in the Lombardy Region (Northern Italy).


METHODS
between 2000 and 2002 a questionnaire about tobacco smoke retrieved from the European Project "GPs Empowerment" has been sent to 5348 general practitioners in the Lombardy Region. The questionnaire focuses on the difference of opinions and activity between smoking and non-smoking physicians. We analyzed 3571 questionnaires voluntarily filled.


RESULTS
The prevalence of smokers among the general practitioners in the Lombardy Region was 22.3% (CI95% 21-24%), (M: 24.2%, CI 95% 22-26% and F: 17.8%, CI 95% 15-20%). Physicians could play a role in the prevention of tobacco: 98.7% (CI 95% 98-99%) agree about the effectiveness of counseling but only 65.6% (CI95% 64-67%) regularly counsel their patients about smoking-related diseases and quitting. In this paper, we estimated that 963% (CI95% 96-97%) non smoking GPs consider counseling useful for their patients vs 92.6% (CI 95% 91-94%) of smoking physicians (p <0. 001); GPs who think to represent a model for people are more frequent among non smokers (97.5%, CI95% 97-98% vs 89.3%, CI 95% 87-91%;p <0.001). Those who discuss with their patients about tobacco addiction and cessation are 68.9% (CI95% 67-71%) among non smokers vs 53.4% (CI 95% 50-54%) among smokers (p <0.001). Finally 67% (CI 95 % 65-69%) interviewed physicians lacked a specific training in smoking prevention. Among them, 87.4%(CI 95% 86-89%) would attend the courses.


CONCLUSIONS
this finding could be useful for planning or enhancing activities aimed at improving preventive and cessation methods.
Pretti
Giorgio
G
Dipartimento medicina preventiva, occupazionale e di comunità, Università degli Studi di Pavia.
Roncarolo
Federico
F
Bonfanti
Marina
M
Bettinelli
Enrica
E
Invernizzi
Giovanni
G
Ceccarelli
Manuela
M
Carreri
Vittorio
V
Tenconi
Maria Teresa
MT
D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires