title: General practice patients--their readiness to quit smoking.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This article examines the prevalence of smoking among general practice patients and assesses their stage of readiness to quit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive study involving eight general practice registrars working in teaching practices in metropolitan Sydney (New South Wales) who surveyed 1069 consecutive patients over 16 years of age to determine their smoking status; and for smokers, their stage of readiness to stop smoking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of these patients 375 (35%) were current smokers, with smoking more common among men (40%) than women (33%). Proportions of smokers in each stage of change were: 137 in precontemplation (36.5%), 158 in contemplation (42%) and 79 in preparation (21%). The majority of patients in preparation (67%) and contemplation (53%) were assessed as willing to further discuss their smoking, whereas only 16% of those in the contemplation stage were willing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Smoking rates among general practice patients were higher than in community samples. Most of the smokers were either contemplating or preparing to quit, and the majority of smokers in these groups were willing to receive advice about smoking cessation.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales. nicholas.zwar@sswahs.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zwar
authors.forename: Robyn L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Richmond
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*