Smoking Characteristics among University Hospital Staff: A Cross-sectional Study

The aim of the current study was to identify smoking rates and smoking-related traits among university hospital workers. Across-sectional, descriptive survey method was used on employees at the Ministry of Health Ordu University Education and Research Hospital from September to October 2012. The study was conducted with a questionnaire consisting of 16 items asking about socio-demographic information, the smoking status of the participants and their family members, and views on laws regarding smoking. A total of 306 individuals, 172 (56.2%) female and 134 (43.8%) male, took part in the study. The rate of smoking among physicians was 38.0%, while 40.6% of nurses smoked. Significantly more men than women were smokers (p:0.002, d:0.45). Additionally, individuals who had close friends or family members who smoked were significantly more likely to do so themselves (family: p:0.041, d:0.138; friends: p<0.001, d:0.200). Among the participants who did smoke, an average consumption of 11–20 cigarettes per day was most commonly reported (n:45, %36.3). The most popular reason given to start smoking was social factors (n:72,%44.2), and the vast majority of participants who were able to quit smoking did not receive help doing so (n:32,%82.1). The high smoking rates among health care workers reflect the popular status of cigarette smoking in Turkey.