TAILIEUCHUNG - Smoking among Lao medical doctors: Challenges and opportunities for tobacco control

This study was undertaken in 2007 to document Lao doctors’ current smoking prevalence, knowledge and attitudes towards smoking as well as control efforts, and to investigate associations between variables. | JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, Hue University, N0 61, 2010 SMOKING AMONG LAO MEDICAL DOCTORS: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR TOBACCO CONTROL Sychareun Vanphanom, Alongkone Phengsavanh Visanou Hansana , Sysavanh Phommachanh University of Health Sciences, Faculty of Postgraduate Studies, Lao PDR, . Box 7444, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Martha Morrow Nossal Institute for Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Vic 3010, Australia Tanja Tomson Department of Public Health Sciences, Div. of Social Medicine, Norrbacka 2nd floor, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden SUMMARY Smoking is an increasing threat to health in low and middle income countries. Doctors are recognised as important role models in anti-smoking campaigns. Objectives: To identify the smoking prevalence of medical doctors in Laos, their tobacco-related knowledge and attitudes, and their involvement in, and capacity for tobacco prevention and control efforts. Methods: A cross sectional national survey by a researcher-administered, face-to-face questionnaire implemented at provincial health facilities throughout the Central (including national capital), Northern, and Southern regions of Laos in 2007. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Results: Of the 855 participants surveyed, were current smokers and were exsmokers; smoking was least common in the Central region (p< ) and far more prevalent in males ( vs. ; p<.001). Smoking was concentrated among older doctors (<.001). Over 84% of current smokers wanted to quit, and had made a recent serious attempt to do so. Doctors had excellent knowledge and positive attitudes to tobacco control, although smokers were relatively less knowledgeable and positive on some items. While 78% of doctors were engaged in cessation support, just 24% had been trained to do so, and a mere considered themselves ‘well prepared’. Conclusion: The willingness of doctors to take up a role in tobacco control role in order to .

• Y khoa - Dược
• Lao medical doctors
• Tobacco control
• Medical doctors
• Lao PDR
• Anti smoking campaigns
• Smoking rates
• BMC Cancer
• Lung cancer
• Absolute rates
• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Presenting estimates