El tabaquismo en los profesionales de la salud en el municipio Habana Vieja

Abstract

Introduction: Physicians and other health professionals represent an important source of influence to make positive changes in smoking prevalence in a community. Objectives: To identify prevalence, risk perception and predisposing factors for smoking in health professionals. Methods: A descriptive observational study was performed on 731 health professionals working in Habana Vieja municipality in 2007. An interview and an observation guide were used to measure epidemiological variables related to prevalence and perception of the risk of smoking and of being passive smoker as well as the predisposing factors for smoking. Results: Of the total amount, 36.4 % of these professionals smoked, 91.7 % of them were doctors and nurses. There were distorted perception and marked depersonalization of the risk of smoking. The relationship with smoking friends, workmates and partners were favoring factors for smoking and also permissibility to smoking in health centers in 60.6 %. The role of health professionals in the prevention and control of smoking is restricted because of their condition of smokers and low risk perception. Conclusions: High prevalence of smokers in health professionals and the favoring setting for smoking in Habana Vieja municipality constitute a negative aspect in the prevention and control of smoking in the community. This is in contradiction with the importance that public health attaches to the committed involvement of health professionals in this field and does not take advantage of the potentialities of the primary health care level under the Cuban conditions for the prevention and control of the harmful habit of smoking.