Barriers to implement a smoke free hospital : What action should be taken?

摘要

Objective: Tobacco is leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Hospitals have a key role to play in the effective control of tobacco. The aim of this survey was to identify the barriers in implementing a smoke free hospital.udMethods: The tool used was a modified Fagerstrom questionnaire. These questionnaires were distributed to all employees at the main state hospital. The data obtained was analysed using SPSS software using frequency tables, univariate and multivariate analysis.udResults: The response rate was 55.1%. The findings showed that 27.1% of male staff and 24.8% of female staff are active smokers. 22.2% of smokers refrain from smoking in hospital. The highest percentage of smokers was in the youngest age group (18-25 years). The highest prevalence of smoking was found in nurses (23.6%), followed by doctors (10.4%). A positive finding was that 25.7% of current non-smokers were ex- smokers with the greatest incentive to quit being for health reasons. Most members of staff were aware of the adverse effects of smoking and a number had symptoms suggestive of smoking-related pathology.udConclusion: Hospital staff mirror the general population with respect to smoking prevalence, habits and co morbidities. This indicates that further initiatives are required to decrease the number of health professionals who smoke, as these should ideally be role models for patients, and hence be able to effectively support patients in quitting smoking.