Smoking behavior and attitudes toward smoking among hospital nurses.

We examined smoking prevalence, smoking behavior, and attitudes toward smoking in hospitals in 1,380 respondents among 1,719 registered nurses in a large urban teaching hospital. In this group, current prevalence of smoking in hospital nurses (22 per cent) was less than women in the general population (29 per cent). Smoking nurses were more likely than nonsmokers to hold attitudes which potentially reduce their efficacy in helping patients to stop smoking.     

Multi-ethnic adolescents' attitudes toward smoking: a focus group analysis

PURPOSE: To explore young, multi-ethnic adolescents' attitudes and influences related to cigarette smoking for the purpose of developing and producing a youth-led, tobacco prevention drama. DESIGN: Focus groups and demographic surveys. SETTING: Island of Oahu, Hawaii. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-four multi-ethnic youth, ranging in age from 10 to 14 years, participated. The study was promoted in schools with a large representation of Hawaiian, Filipino, and Pacific Islander students. METHODS: Each of five focus groups was audio-recorded, and an observer recorded extensive notes throughout the sessions. Content analysis consisted of coding focus group notes for recurrent themes and using the audio recording as confirmation. RESULTS: Just more than one quarter (n = 15) of the youth had tried smoking, and two-thirds (n = 35) currently lived with someone who smoked. Participants expressed the feeling of being surrounded by smoking influences at home, in their communities, and at school. Youth were negatively affected by family members' tobacco use, and they desired skills that could enable them to help family members stop using tobacco. CONCLUSION: Family influences may play an important role in youth attitudes toward tobacco use, especially given the cultural significance of extended family and of filial piety that are reflected in many traditional, Asian and Pacific Islander families. Interventions targeting youth in Asian and Pacific Islander communities should incorporate key cultural references to the extended family and to a respect for elders to establish relevance in the life experiences of young people in these population groups.     

Acceptability and impact of a partial smoking ban followed by a total smoking ban in a psychiatric hospital

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of a partial smoking ban followed by a total smoking ban in a psychiatric hospital in Switzerland. METHODS: In 2003, smoking was allowed everywhere in psychiatric units. In 2004, smoking was prohibited everywhere except in smoking rooms. In 2006, smoking rooms were removed and smoking was totally prohibited indoors. Patients and staff were surveyed in 2003 (n=106), 2004 (n=108), 2005 (n=119) and 2006 (n=134). RESULTS: Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) decreased after the partial ban and further decreased after the total ban. Among patients, after the total ban, more smokers attempted to quit smoking (18%) relative to before the total ban (2%, odds ratio=10.1, p=0.01). More smokers said that hospital staff gave them nicotine replacement products after the total ban (52%), compared with before (13%, odds ratio=7.6, p<0.001). Many participants (55%) commented that the total ban was too strict, and most (64%) preferred the partial ban. CONCLUSIONS: The partial ban decreased exposure to ETS and the total ban further improved the situation and increased the proportion of smokers who attempted to quit smoking and received nicotine medications. The total ban was loosely enforced and was overall acceptable, but most participants preferred a partial ban.     

Implications of a public smoking ban

OBJECTIVES: Legislation to ban smoking in public places is currently a major area of interest across Canada. The main objectives of the study were to 1) determine the effect of the smoking ban on incidence of acute myocardial infarction, 2) determine if the new legislation altered population-based smoking prevalence, and 3) measure public support for the public smoking ban. METHODS: The city of Saskatoon initiated a public smoking ban on July 1, 2004. We retrospectively reviewed all hospital discharges for acute MI from July 2000 to June 2005. We reviewed CCHS survey information on smoking prevalence for Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Canada from 2003 to 2005. We prospectively contacted 1,255 Saskatoon residents by telephone to determine support for the public smoking ban. RESULTS: The age-standardized incidence rate of acute MI fell from 176.1 (95% CI 165.3-186.8) cases per 100,000 population (July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2004) to 152.4 (95% CI 135.3-169.3) cases per 100,000 population (July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005). Smoking prevalence in Saskatoon fell from 24.1% in 2003 (95% CI 20.4-27.7) to 18.2% in 2005 (95% CI 15.7-20.9) while smoking prevalence in Saskatchewan remained unchanged at 23.8% (95% CI 22.6-25.3) and Canada reduced from 22.9% (95% CI 22.5-23.3) to 21.3% (95% CI 20.8-21.8). Seventy-nine percent of Saskatoon residents believed the smoking ban was a good idea. INTERPRETATION: The public smoking ban in Saskatoon, Canada, is associated with reduced incidence rates of acute MI, lower smoking prevalence and high levels of public support.     

Changes in smoking behaviour after a total workplace smoking ban

This paper reports data on changes in smoking behaviour after the introduction of a total workplace smoking ban in Telecom Australia. A sample of 1089 Telecom staff were surveyed in the months before the introduction of the ban and 620 were resurveyed six months after the ban had been implemented. A further sample of 1424 was drawn from the same parts of the organisation 18 months after implementation. Among the smokers in these samples, the bans produced a reduction in workday cigarette consumption of between three and four cigarettes a day and this reduction was maintained at 18 months. Over the two-year period from six months before the ban to 18 months after it, smoking prevalence dropped about 5 per cent, which we estimate is about twice the decline found in the general community. Workplace smoking bans can produce public health and can assist individual smokers to regulate their habit.     

Berlin's medical students' smoking habits, knowledge about smoking and attitudes toward smoking cessation counseling

Background  

Diseases associated with smoking are a foremost cause of premature death in the world, both in developed and developing countries. Eliminating smoking can do more to improve health and prolong life than any other measure in the field of preventive medicine. Today's medical students will play a prominent role in future efforts to prevent and control tobacco use.     

Correlates of attitudes toward the sexuality of the disabled person in selected health professionals

The attitudes of health professionals toward sexuality and disability have recently been under much scrutiny. These attitudes have been characterized as essentially negative. This study was undertaken in an attempt to clarify the relationship between attitudes toward sexuality, attitudes toward disability and attitudes toward the sexual behavior of the disabled.Fifty-three health professionals from three rehabilitation centers served as subjects. Subjects completed a research packet that included theAttitude Toward Disabled Persons Test, Sex Knowledge and Attitude Test and a researcher-designed Attitude Toward Sexual Behavior of the Disabled semantic differential.It was found that attitudes toward disability did not correlate with sex knowledge, attitudes or with attitudes toward the sexual behavior of the disabled. Attitudes toward the sexual behavior of the disabled is best predicted by attitudes toward premarital and extramartial sex and attitudes toward autoeroticism.The data indicate that attitudes toward the sexual behavior of the disabled are associated more with fundamental sex attitudes than with attitudes toward disability. Sex knowledge is not related to attitudes toward sexual behavior of the disabled. It was recommended that programs designed to change attitudes toward sexual behavior of the disabled should focus on attitudes as opposed to knowledge.She is also project director for the Sexual Adjustment Counseling Services project at George Washington University.The original research was conducted under the support of the University of North Carolina Medical School, Department of Allied Health Professions. Preparation of this article was supported by Department of Health, Education & Welfare Grant #RSA 15-P-57882/3-03.The author wishes to extend personal thanks to Debra Cornelius and Elaine Makas for their assistance in preparing this article.     

Total indoor smoking ban and smoker behavior.

METHODS. To assess smoking policy support and effects, 1,083 hospital employees (203 smokers) were surveyed by anonymous questionnaire 1 year after the announcement (5 months after implementation) of a new total indoor smoking ban. A second follow-up, limited to smoker respondents only, was conducted 2 years postannouncement. RESULTS. A total indoor smoking ban was supported by the vast majority of nonsmokers (89%) and ex-smokers (86%) and by nearly half of the then-smoking population (45%). Consistent with previous reports, the smoking ban was associated with a significant decrease in cigarette use during work hours, particularly among moderate to heavy smokers. However, the ban did not result in increased institutional quit rates. Light smokers (< 10 cig/day), compared with heavy smokers (> or = 30 cig/day), were more likely to support the no-smoking policy and had fewer problems observing the ban. They were also less apt to report a decrease in work productivity. CONCLUSION. A total indoor smoking ban had little effect on overall institutional quit rates. Heavy smokers will, predictably, experience the greatest difficulty complying with a total indoor nonsmoking policy.     

Smoking behavior and attitudes of employees of a large HMO before and after a work site ban on cigarette smoking

Smoking-related data collected during 1976-87 by anonymous cross-sectional surveys of nonphysician employees of a large medical care organization were used to assess how a work site smoking ban affected employees' smoking behavior and attitudes. The smoking ban was implemented at 11 work sites at various times during 1985-86. All work sites had three or more pre-ban surveys and one or two post-ban surveys. The majority of employees reported support for the smoking ban. The ban's effects were assessed by comparing observed post-ban rates with expected rates projected from secular trends in the pre-ban data by the use of logistic regression models that included age, sex, education, and job class as covariates. The work site smoking ban had a substantial effect on the presence of smoke in the work environment, but no short-term effect on smoking prevalence or attempts to quit. The apparent effect of the ban on quantity of cigarettes smoked was assessed by a pre-ban and post-ban analysis of the 1986-87 survey data. A nonequivalent post-ban and post-ban comparison was used to estimate the secular trend. A significant reduction of 1.4 cigarettes per day (P = 0.022) was found in smokers' rate during working hours.     

Maternal attitudes toward circumcision.

Two hundred questionnaires were completed anonymously by mothers to determine the nature of their attitudes and knowledge of neonatal circumcision. Neonatal circumcision had been performed on 95 percent of the sons. A wide variety of reasons were given for circumcising newborns; few were medically valid. Eighty-seven percent of mothers considered circumcision to be without risk, and 80 percent of mothers stated that the risks of circumcision had not been explained to them. This retrospective study revealed a lack of maternal understanding regarding neonatal circumcision.     

Dietitians' attitudes toward advocacy.

A survey was conducted to determine dietitians' attitudes toward and readiness for advocacy. Representative members of an affiliated state dietetic association expressed positive attitudes toward the professional's assumption of the advocate role. The respondents looked to the national, state, and local dietetic associations to provide leadership in the area of advocacy.     

The moderating role of parental smoking on their children's attitudes toward smoking among a predominantly minority sample: a cross-sectional analysis

Background  

In general having a parent who smokes or smoked is a strong and consistent predictor of smoking initiation among their children while authoritative parenting style, open communication that demonstrates mutual respect between child and parent, and parental expectations not to smoke are protective. It has been hypothesized that parental smoking affects their children's smoking initiation through both imitation of the behavior and effects on attitudes toward smoking. The goals of the current analysis were to examine these two potential mechanisms.     

Teenage smoking behaviour following a high-school smoking ban in Chile: interrupted time-series analysis

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of a smoking ban in high schools on smoking behaviour among Chilean students.MethodsWe conducted an interrupted time-series analysis, using repeated cross-sectional data from Chile’s school population survey (2000–2011) for high-school students aged 12–18 years and a control group of persons aged 19–24 years. Poisson regression models were used to assess trends in smoking behaviour before and after the policy changes. The outcome measures were self-reported smoking prevalence (any smoking in the past month) and high frequency of smoking (smoking 15 days or more per month).FindingsFrom 2005 to 2011, the prevalence of smoking declined among high-school students by 6.8% per year compared with 3.6% decline per year in the control group. The decline in the target group was 2.9% (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.18 to 5.00) greater. We estimated that 5–6 years after enforcing the law, smoking prevalence among high-school students was 13.7% lower as a result of the ban. The impact of the smoking ban was primarily driven by declines in smoking prevalence among students in grades 8 to 10. The smoking ban did not significantly alter the frequency of smoking.ConclusionThe 2005 school smoking ban reduced smoking prevalence among younger high-school students in Chile. Further interventions targeting older individuals and frequent smokers may be needed.     

Acceptability and impact of a partial smoking ban in a psychiatric hospital

OBJECTIVE: The acceptability and impact of partial smoking bans in psychiatric hospitals are not well documented. We assessed the impact of a partial smoking ban in a psychiatric hospital in Switzerland. METHODS: Before the intervention, smoking was not allowed in bedrooms and dining rooms, but this ban was not enforced. The intervention consisted of banning smoking everywhere, except in dedicated smoking rooms. Patients and staff were surveyed before (October 2003, 49 patients and 57 staff) and 2 months after the smoking ban (April 2004, 54 patients and 54 staff). Analyses included both patients and staff. RESULTS: Compared with baseline, after the intervention twice as many non-smokers reported that they were "never" exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in bedrooms (before=25.0%, after=54.5%, p=0.046), dining rooms (35.5 vs. 65.5%, p=0.037), corridors (10.4 vs. 30.9%, p=0.001) and meeting rooms (36.8 vs. 75.0%, p=0.012). The smoking ban was loosely enforced; although the ban reduced ETS, substantial exposure to ETS remained after it was introduced. Most participants (87%) rejected the idea of a total smoking ban. CONCLUSION: The partial smoking ban was well accepted and was associated with less exposure to ETS. However, even a partial ban proved difficult to enforce in this hospital.     

Restaurant owner perceptions of the effects of a smoking ban

In this paper business owner expectations regarding revenue changes due to a general smoking ban are analyzed using a survey mailed out to all restaurants, bars, cafés and nightclubs in Gothenburg, Sweden. A reasonable interpretation of the survey responses is that as many as 74% of the establishments do not expect to be severely hurt by a general smoking ban applying to the entire restaurant sector. The econometric results show that the owners are more likely to expect a decrease in revenues the larger their share of smoking customers. Moreover, establishments that are smoke-free are less likely to expect negative economic effects compared to those that currently allow smoking. Also, establishments with a non-smoking section are less likely to expect negative economic effects from a general smoking ban. No strong effect of the type of establishment (café, bar, or restaurant) on expected changes in revenues is detected, although establishments with late night hours are more likely to expect financial losses.