[Influence of smoking among family physicians on their practice of giving minimal smoking cessation advice in 2008. A survey of 332 general practitioners in Maine-et-Loire]

Abstract

Introduction: Smoking among doctors would be an obstacle to effective smoking prevention, in particular the practice of minimal advice.

Objectives: To assess the smoking habits of general practitioners (GPs) in the department of Maine-et-Loire and to study the link between their smoking status and their practice of minimal smoking cessation advice in 2008 in a legislative context unfavourable to smokers.

Methods: Three hundred and thirty-two GPs in the department of Maine-et-Loire answered a survey (response rate: 60%) investigating their own smoking habits and how they approach patients who smoke.

Results: The prevalence of active smoking among general practitioners responders was 18%, 34% were former smokers and 47% had never smoked. Regular smokers (10%) smoked on average 14 cigarettes a day and 51% were nicotine dependent (9% strongly). When consulting, 32% of doctors systematically addressed smoking habits, 20% said that they gave minimal smoking cessation advice regardless of their smoking status. Doctors who smoked were less prone to ask their patients if they smoke (p=0.002) and they believed that their smoking does not influence their practice of giving minimal smoking advice. Moreover, the incentive and coercive measures introduced in 2006 had no influence on the smoking status of physicians, but allowed them to speak more frequently about smoking to their patients.

Conclusion: Minimal smoking cessation advice is applied systematically by only 20% of physicians regardless of their smoking status. Non-systematic smoking cessation advice benefited from the measures introduced in 2006.