ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: to analyze smoking habits, opinions on smoking, curriculum and smoking prevention activities carried out by general practitioners in the Lombardy Region (Northern Italy). DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: between 2000 and 2002 a questionnaire about tobacco smoke retrieved from the European Project "GPs Empowerment" has been sent to 5348 general practitioners in the Lombardy Region. The questionnaire focuses on the difference of opinions and activity between smoking and non-smoking physicians. We analyzed 3571 questionnaires voluntarily filled. RESULTS: The prevalence of smokers among the general practitioners in the Lombardy Region was 22.3% (CI95% 21-24%), (M: 24.2%, CI 95% 22-26% and F: 17.8%, CI 95% 15-20%). Physicians could play a role in the prevention of tobacco: 98.7% (CI 95% 98-99%) agree about the effectiveness of counseling but only 65.6% (CI95% 64-67%) regularly counsel their patients about smoking-related diseases and quitting. In this paper, we estimated that 963% (CI95% 96-97%) non smoking GPs consider counseling useful for their patients vs 92.6% (CI 95% 91-94%) of smoking physicians (p <0. 001); GPs who think to represent a model for people are more frequent among non smokers (97.5%, CI95% 97-98% vs 89.3%, CI 95% 87-91%;p <0.001). Those who discuss with their patients about tobacco addiction and cessation are 68.9% (CI95% 67-71%) among non smokers vs 53.4% (CI 95% 50-54%) among smokers (p <0.001). Finally 67% (CI 95 % 65-69%) interviewed physicians lacked a specific training in smoking prevention. Among them, 87.4%(CI 95% 86-89%) would attend the courses. CONCLUSION: this finding could be useful for planning or enhancing activities aimed at improving preventive and cessation methods.
