title: Addressing passive smoking in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A significant number of parents are unaware or unconvinced of the health consequences of passive smoking (PS) in children. Physicians could increase parental awareness by giving personal advice.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the current practices of three Dutch health professions (paediatricians, youth health care physicians, and family physicians) regarding parental counselling for passive smoking (PS) in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  All physicians (n = 720) representing the three health professions in Limburg, The Netherlands, received an invitation to complete a self-administered electronic questionnaire including questions on their: sex, work experience, personal smoking habits, counselling practices and education regarding PS in children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 34%. One tenth (11%) of the responding physicians always addressed PS in children, 32% often, 54% occasionally and 4% reported to never attend to it. The three health professions appeared comparable regarding their frequency of parental counselling for PS in children. Addressing PS was more likely when children had respiratory problems. Lack of time was the most frequently mentioned barrier, being very and somewhat applicable for respectively 14% and 43% of the physicians. One fourth of the responders had received postgraduate education about PS. Additionally, 49% of the responders who did not have any education about PS were interested in receiving it.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physicians working in the paediatric field in Limburg, The Netherlands, could more frequently address PS in children with parents. Lack of time appeared to be the most mentioned barrier and physicians were more likely to counsel parents for PS in children with respiratory complaints/diseases. Finally, a need for more education on parental counselling for PS was expressed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Pulmonology, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sasha G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Hutchinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Pulmonology, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kuijlaars
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mesters
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jean W M
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Muris
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Constant P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: van Schayck
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Pulmonology, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dompeling
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frans J M
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Feron
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution