[Smoking behavior of nurses in Mie Prefecture, Japan]

Nurses who work in hospitals and clinics belonging to a regional medical association in Mie prefecture were surveyed regarding their smoking behavior and several related factors. The results are summarized as follows: 1) Smoking prevalence in male and female nurses was 75.5% and 14.6% respectively. In the present study the rate of female nurses was almost equal to results reported in a national survey. 2) Smoking prevalence was higher among licensed practical nurses than registered nurses, and it was highest among psychiatric nurses. 3) Smoking prevalence among hospital and clinical nurses was 15.7% and 9.1% respectively. Smoking prevalence was lower among clinical nurses, even though, they have a higher number of licensed practical nurses. Also smoking prevalence was higher in hospitals with a smaller nursing staff than in hospitals with a larger nursing staff. 4) Among smokers, 44.5% seriously had attempted to quit smoking, and 34.1% had considered quitting but never tried. Therefore, the results suggest the importance of providing smoking cessation programs for nurses.