Abstract
Background: Doctors are role model and most important part of any society to influence tobacco use in community. Very little is known about tobacco prevalence in physicians and surgeons of Pakistan.
Objective: comparison of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of cigarette and water pipe between physicians and surgeons of Pakistan
Methodologycross sectional study done in five major cities of Pakistan. WHO global health survey questionnaire was used with some modification.
Result: Out of 1100 distributed Performa 786 doctors responded of which 404 were Surgeons and 382 were physicians. Currently 12.7% physicians and 19.5% Surgeons smoke daily while 7.2% surgeons and 3.2% physicians use water pipe on regular basis(p .000).Among smokers 46.9% Physicians and 54.6% Surgeons were not ready to quit within six months(p .002). Ban of smoking in enclosed public places was opposed by 14.8% surgeons and 7.3% physicians(P .004).Passive smoking as cause of lung cancer was negated by 32.1% surgeons and 18.8% physicians(p .000) while 18.1% physicians and 28.7% Surgeons (P .000) rejected it as cause of heart diseases. Water pipe was socially more acceptable than cigarette for 29.7% Surgeons and 24.6% physicians (P .005).When they were enquired about their institutional policies regarding smoking 50.7% surgeons and 48.2% physicians admitted having no policy, 83.2% physicians and 79.7% surgeons had no training in smoking cessation approaches.
Conclusions: Surgeons have more casual attitude towards tobacco use. To control this growing menace, both need to be educated about the health hazards related to its use.
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