[Knowledge about tobacco smoking as a cervical cancer risk factor among economically active nurses from Lodz region]

Cervical cancer constitutes a serious public health problem in Poland as well as worldwide. Its main risk factor is HPV virus infection (especially type 16 and 18) but also a wide range of other factors associated with sexual behaviour, including tobacco smoking. The most important part of cervical cancer prevention is immunotherapy as well as reduction and elimination of modifiable risk factors. On the secondary level of prevention the most important are actions allowing early disease recognition, thanks to the mass screening test like Pap smear. In all preventive actions nurses play an important role. Their knowledge about cervical cancer risk factors is the basis of effectiveness and involvement in preventive programs directed toward polish women. The research took place in 2009 among 107 economically active nurses from Łódź region and its main goal was to identify knowledge about tobacco smoking as a cervical cancer risk factor. The study indicates that the knowledge is insufficient - only 59% of researched nurses included smoking as a risk factor. Among 19 analyzed in the paper potential risk factors tobacco smoking was ranked 12th by percentage of correct answers. The higher level of knowledge was represented by non-smoking older nurses, working at the ambulatory care units at the hospitals and living in the big cities. Nurses' knowledge requires systematical improvement as an element of under and post graduate degree education.