title: Association between awareness of harmful effects of smoking and smoking cessation advice provided by hospital chest physicians in Guangzhou, China: a multi-institutional cross-sectional survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is unknown which factors are associated with smoking cessation interventions initiated by hospital chest physicians in China. We examined physicians' awareness of negative effects of smoking on smoking cessation advice given.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cluster randomized cross-sectional survey was conducted from July to August 2011 in hospital chest physicians (n = 354) in Guangzhou, China.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of those who responded (n = 354, 92%), 63.8% were aware of negative effects of smoking and 64.5% initiated smoking cessation programmes with their patients. Awareness differed among physicians depending on their hospital affiliation (χ(2)  = 54.7, P > 0.001), that is, primary (44.9%), secondary (55.1%) and tertiary hospitals (87.0%), (odds ratio = 1.732, 95% confidence interval: 1.072-2.797, P < 0.05). Physicians with less awareness prescribed smoking cessation medication less frequently (χ(2)  = 137.71, P < 0.001). Smoking cessation practice by physicians also depended on hospital affiliation (χ(2)  = 5.7, P > 0.001), (odds ratio = 4.074, 95% confidence interval: 1.399-11.860, P = 0.010). Smoking status of physicians was related to smoking cessation practice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physicians more aware of the health hazards of smoking provided more smoking cessation advice. Awareness correlated with hospital levels and smoking status. Physician's advice correlated with their smoking status and educational background, but not with the levels of hospital, position or department affiliation.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: De-Rong
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei-Jie
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Yi-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Shi-Yue
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jin-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Rong-Chang
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Nan-Shan
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Zhong
mesh_terms: D001364:Awareness; D002681:China; D003376:Counseling / Q000639:trends*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013038:Specialization; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires