[Attitude to tobacco and prevalence of smokers among primary care physicians in Guipúzcoa].

OBJECTIVE

To discover the evolvement of Primary Care doctors' tobacco consumption in Guipuzcoa and their attitudes to tobacco dependency.

DESIGN

A descriptive study of a crossover type. October 1992.

SETTING

Primary Health care.

PARTICIPANTS

381 general physicians and paediatricians from Guipuzcoa province.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

A self-filled questionnaire was distributed at Health Centres for subsequent return by mail. The reply rate was 60.89%, 42.3% were smokers; 33.6%, ex-smokers. 43% of smokers smoked in the Centre; 2% in front of patients. We found significant differences (p < 0.05) with a study carried out in 1988, where doctors who smoked were 52.4%, ex-smokers 19% and doctors who smoked in front of patients, 18.2%. 45.7% of women smoked, 39.2% of men. 78% of the doctors under study stated that they questioned patients about tobacco consumption. 95.2% did so when patients had specific pathologies.

CONCLUSIONS

There has been a significant decline in tobacco smoking by doctors in Guipuzcoa. There are more women than men smokers. There is a higher proportion of ex-smokers among doctors than in the population as a whole. There has been a positive change of attitude as to smoking in front of patients. Centres should become more involved in the struggle against tobacco by offering to set up dependency counselling groups.