| dc.description.abstract | Background:
Healthcare workers all over the world have been identified to be involved in smoking, despite that fact that they are seen as role models to the patients. The aim of this study was to assess the underlying determinants of cigarette smoking among health care workers in China Uganda Friendship Hospital, Naguru specifically the individual, work related factors and role of media on cigarette smoking.
Methods:
The study used a cross sectional design, simple randoming was used to select participants. The study population included health workers at China Uganda Friendship Hospital, Naguru. 208 respondents took part in the study.
Results:
Finding from this study indicated that a prevalence of 14.9%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed various individual and work related determinants of smoking among health workers. These included;-Individual factors such as education level (p=0.000), department of work (p=0.003) and duration of practice (p=0.000) were significant predictors of smoking. Environmental factors like presence of policy on public smoking (p=0.000), having workmates who smoke (p=0.000) and hospital policies against smoking (p=0.000) were significant influences of smoking among the respondents. Media had significant influence on smoking among health workers. Attributes such as repetitive airing of anti-smoking law (p=0.000), effectiveness of the new policy against smoking, Local radio and television shows have role on anti-smoking (p=0.001) and Policy against smoking is a big step on anti-smoking (p=0.000) have impact on smoking.
Conclusion:
Tobacco use among health care workers is of particular interest in the area of tobacco related surveillance since these are the people who contribute to the responsibility of primary health care, surveillance and tobacco cessation education and act as role models in this category of professions. Patients place a large amount of faith in their advice. Therefore when the numbers of smokers in this population are cut down, this will also be reflected in the general population. Mass media and advertising especially the one which is broadcast through television should be always given more free time to anti-smoking advertisements so that the part of the population that likes television can listen and see this information. Mass media and advertising use is always a challenge in hard to reach areas but the use of strategies like mobile phones, radio, and print media that is especially translated in different languages should be pursued, tested, and refined. | en_US |
