Physician smoking status, attitudes toward smoking, and cessation advice to patients: an international survey.
OBJECTIVE
The smoking status of physicians can impact interactions with patients about smoking. The 'Smoking: The Opinions of Physicians' (STOP) survey examined whether an association existed between physician smoking status and beliefs about smoking and cessation and a physician's clinical interactions with patients relevant to smoking cessation, and perceptions of barriers to assisting with quitting.


METHODS
General and family practitioners across 16 countries were surveyed via telephone or face-to-face interviews using a convenience-sample methodology. Physician smoking status was self-reported.


RESULTS
Of 4473 physicians invited, 2836 (63%) participated in the survey, 1200 (42%) of whom were smokers. Significantly fewer smoking than non-smoking physicians volunteered that smoking was a harmful activity (64% vs 77%; P<0.001). More non-smokers agreed that smoking cessation was the single biggest step to improving health (88% vs 82%; P<0.001) and discussed smoking at every visit (45% vs 34%; P<0.001). Although more non-smoking physicians identified willpower (37% vs 32%; P<0.001) and lack of interest (28% vs 22%; P<0.001) as barriers to quitting, more smoking physicians saw stress as a barrier (16% vs 10%; P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Smoking physicians are less likely to initiate cessation interventions.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a need for specific strategies to encourage smoking physicians to quit, and to motivate all practitioners to adopt systematic approaches to assisting with smoking cessation.
Pipe
Andrew
A
Minto Prevention and Rehabilitation Centre, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, 40 Ruskin Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. apipe@ottawaheart.ca
Sorensen
Michelle
M
Reid
Robert
R
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010819:Physician's Role / Q000523:psychology; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000458:organization & administration*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology