J Prev Med Public Health.  2017 May;50(3):177-187. 10.3961/jpmph.15.061.

Assessment of Tobacco Habits, Attitudes, and Education Among Medical Students in the United States and Italy: A Cross-sectional Survey

• Armstrong
• Veronese G
• George PF
• Montroni I
• Ugolini G

• KMID: 2384529
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.15.061

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Medical students represent a primary target for tobacco cessation training. This study assessed the prevalence of medical students' tobacco use, attitudes, clinical skills, and tobacco-related curricula in two countries, the US and Italy, with known baseline disparities in hopes of identifying potential corrective interventions.
METHODS
From September to December 2013, medical students enrolled at the University of Bologna and at Brown University were recruited via email to answer survey questions assessing the prevalence of medical students' tobacco use, attitudes and clinical skills related to patients' smoking, and elements of medical school curricula related to tobacco use.
RESULTS
Of the 449 medical students enrolled at Brown and the 1426 enrolled at Bologna, 174 Brown students (38.7%) and 527 Bologna students (36.9%) participated in this study. Italian students were more likely to smoke (29.5% vs. 6.1%; p<0.001) and less likely to receive smoking cessation training (9.4% vs. 80.3%; p<0.001) than their American counterparts, even though the majority of students in both countries desired smoking cessation training (98.6% at Brown, 85.4% at Bologna; p<0.001). Additionally, negative beliefs regarding tobacco usage, the absence of formal training in smoking cessation counseling, and a negative interest in receiving specific training on smoking cessation were associated with a higher risk of not investigating a patient's smoking status during a routine history and not offering tobacco cessation treatment to patients.
CONCLUSIONS
Medical curricula on tobacco-related health hazards and on smoking cessation should be mandatory in order to reduce smoking among medical students, physicians, and patients, thereby improving tobacco-related global health.

Keyword

Tobacco use cessation; Medical education; Medical student; Smoking

MeSH Terms

Clinical Competence
Counseling
Cross-Sectional Studies*
Curriculum
Education*
Education, Medical
Electronic Mail
Global Health
Hope
Humans
Italy*
Prevalence
Schools, Medical
Smoke
Smoking
Smoking Cessation
Students, Medical*
Tobacco Use
Tobacco Use Cessation
Tobacco*
United States*
Smoke