Horacio MG, Silberman M, Ferrero S, Sanguinetti C

Language: Spanish
References: 8
Page: 87-91
PDF size: 70.68 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Background: Prevalence of cigarette smoking is similar between the general population and workers at health institutions; in Argentina, tobacco is still tolerated inside health institutions despite a law against this practice. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of smoking in Public Health Institutions through the application of a semi-structured survey. Methods: An opinion survey including age, gender, type of work, seniority, time of tobacco exposure, type of tobacco used, and tobacco consumed during labour hours was carried out from August to November 2006, among the employees of The Ministry of Health (MH), and 5 Public Hospitals in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Statistical analysis was performed using EpiInfo6 (CDC/WHO), ANOVA and Chi2. Results: 1960 employees were polled; 31.8% of the sample admitted being addicted to tobacco (34.6% at MH-building, 29.64% at hospitals). Average age was 40.93 ± 11.01 years, work seniority was 15.76 ± 10.66 years; 9.7% of the sample works ≤ 24 hours a week, 48.4% between 24 and 32 hours and 41.9% works ≥ 33 hours. All tobacco consumption was in the form of cigarette smoking. Only 17.4% of the smokers avoided smoking at work. Cigarettes consumed during labour hours were 6.23 ± 5.44; 66.71% of the workers recognized that smoking was annoying to their co-workers, 90.43% were aware of tobacco health’s consequences, 69.4% already had formal thoughts about quitting the habit, 94.6% knew that State Law prohibited and punished smoking inside Public Health buildings; only 3.7% spontaneously abandoned the habit. Discussion and conclusions: According to health's workers, non-compliance of the antitobacco law is due to the lack of sanctions for the infringers. Tobacco smoking is an individual and personal behaviour, unrelated to the working place. The mere promulgation of a law does not change deeply rooted habits-addictions in an institution, including health institutions. Strategies to promote change of such behaviours should involve smokers and authorities.

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