Tobacco use and cessation counseling among health professional students: Lebanon Global Health Professions Student Survey.
BACKGROUND
The number of deaths attributable to tobacco use is rising globally. Health professionals can help reduce tobacco use by providing advice to patients regarding smoking cessation. Very few studies have collected information on tobacco use and cessation counseling training among health professional students. The purpose of this paper is to examine these issues using data from the 2005 Lebanon Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS).


METHODS
The 2005 Lebanon GHPSS includes nationally representative estimates of third-year students in all dental, medical, nursing, and pharmacy schools in Lebanon.


RESULTS
Current cigarette use ranged from 14.8% for pharmacy students to 26.9% for nursing students and 27.4% for medical students. Current waterpipe use ranged from 20.6% for medical students to 44.9% for nursing students. About 8 in 10 students in all four disciplines were exposed to second-hand smoke in public places. More than 8 in 10 students in medical, nursing, and pharmacy schools believed that health professionals have a role in giving advice or information on smoking cessation to patients. More than 9 in 10 students in all four disciplines believed that health professionals should receive training on smoking cessation techniques. However, those who received training ranged from 19.8% of pharmacy students to 43.7% of nursing students.


CONCLUSIONS
Tobacco use (cigarettes and water-pipe) is high among third-year health professional students in Lebanon. Students are willing to provide smoking-cessation counseling but lack training. The Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Education, and educational institutions in Lebanon should work together with other interested partners in developing, testing, and implementing successful patient cessation counseling training programs for health professionals.
Saade
Georges
G
Lebanese University, Faculty of Public Health, Fanar Campus, Beirut, Lebanon. gasaade@yahoo.com
Warren
Charles W
CW
Jones
Nathan R
NR
Mokdad
Ali
A
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003376:Counseling / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007861:Lebanon / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012309:Risk-Taking; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013339:Students, Pharmacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult