Abstract
BackgroundWhile cigarette smoking has been considered the most relevant tobacco product worldwide, waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) has increased in prevalence globally and calls for more considerable attention now. However, little is known about WTS cessation knowledge and clinical practices among physicians, particularly in Lebanon. This study aims to examine the knowledge, barriers, and cessation practices of primary care practitioners towards WTS.MethodsA cross-sectional study where an anonymous self-reported questionnaire was completed by physicians attending the Annual Conference of the Lebanese Society of Family Medicine for family medicine physicians, general practitioners, and internists in Lebanon.ResultsOut of 180 attendees, 105 primary care practitioners (PCPs) responded to the questionnaire. Only 38.1% of the physicians think similar techniques are used for the cessation of smoking of both cigarette and waterpipe. Similarly, 30.5% of the physicians believe that nicotine replacement therapy works in the cessation of waterpipe smoking. There was a statistically significant difference between the percentage of physicians who counsel for cigarette smoking and those who counsel for waterpipe smoking cessation (p = 0.005) where 30% of the physicians tend to counsel against cigarette smoking more than waterpipe smoking.ConclusionsThis study shows a difference in the attitude and behavior of PCPs towards cigarette and waterpipe smoking cessation. Moreover, there is a lack of knowledge about water pipe smoking cessation techniques. There is a great room for continued medical education to PCPs in their private practice to improve their knowledge.
Highlights
While cigarette smoking has been considered the most relevant tobacco product worldwide, waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) has increased in prevalence globally and calls for more considerable attention
We aimed to (i) assess knowledge and attitudes regarding waterpipe smoking among physicians; (ii) assess clinic-based practices related to cigarette vs. waterpipe smoking cessation among these physicians, and (iii) assess providers’ perceived barriers to providing WTS cessation intervention
Clinical smoking cessation guidelines have focused on traditional cigarette consumption with a limited concentration on alternative tobacco products such as WTS, which calls for urgent acknowledgement and understanding and WTS cessation approaches among primary care practitioners (PCPs) who play a vital role in facilitating smoking cessation [25]
Summary
While cigarette smoking has been considered the most relevant tobacco product worldwide, waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) has increased in prevalence globally and calls for more considerable attention now. Since the turn of the twenty-first century, the tobacco product landscape has witnessed the emergence of a new wave of tobacco products, including waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS), which has triggered alarming epidemiological trends [1, 2]. While this practice ( known as arghile, hookah, and shisha) was limited to Southeast Asia and Eastern Mediterranean communities, it has recently begun to rise in popularity in other regions of the world [3, 4].
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