Survey on Doctor's Attitude and Perception Regarding Smoking and their Advising Prevalence to their Patients

Abstract

Smoking has been called the chief, single, avoidable cause of death in our society and the most important public health issue of our time. It is a leading modifiable global disease risk factor, with nearly 6 million premature deaths. 80% of the more than one billion smokers worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest. The objectives of this study was to assess the rate of smoking tendency and attitude of doctors toward their own smoking practices and also to assess the prevalence of non-smoking advices given to their patients. A total number of 200 doctors with the structured questionnaire was presented to each of the doctors practicing in different hospital, private chambers in urban area of Bangladesh. They were surveyed with a questionnaire in order to assess the knowledge, perception and attitude regarding smoking practices. Most of the doctors are non smokers and of those who are smokers stated that the reason for smoking is stress relief. In answering the major facts majority of the doctors strongly agree that children under age of 16 shouldn’t be allowed to buy cigarettes, should have strict law enforcement, prohibition of cigarette advertisement and necessity of smoking awareness programme. 33% did not ask patients about smoking and of those who asked 91% encourage their patients to quit smoking for better quality of life and discuss the risk factors of smoking with their patients. From the result, it can be concluded that attitude and patient advice rate about smoking of doctors are not at all in a satisfactory point. For obtaining a better viewpoint the doctors should be more heavily monitored and helped through both academically and professionally.