Smoking habits of employees in public-health institutes

This study's aim is to gain the insight on smoking prevalence at the Institutes of Public Health in Serbia.

All Institutes of Public Health in Serbia have participated in the study. All employees have participated in an epidemiology survey, which is used to collect data.

The questionnaire on smoking was completed by 83,2% (2458) of employees in the public-health institutes and institutions in the Republic of Serbia. The questionnaire was filled in by 27,1% males, and 72,95% females, in other words, the gender ratio was 1:2,7 respectively, which corresponds to gender ratio of the total number of employees in these institutes and institutions. Smoking prevalence among the employees according to the Occupation: Of the total number of questioned employees in Serbian public-health institutes and institutions 1078 are smokers (43,8%). Smoking habits among the employees according to occupation are as follows: Physician smokers 31.1% (134), Secondary-school medical staff smokers 48.1% (507), and non-medical staff smokers 45.0% (437).

Even though medical personnel hold a key-role in smoking prevention and quitting smoking, smoking among them is at a high rate. Taking into consideration that institutes and institutions of public health have a promotional anti tobacco and prevention role, the first step in carrying out the National strategy of tobacco control should be the appliance of the Codex of behavior of medical personnel in tobacco control, and the decrease in the number of smokers among the employees in health institutes.