Students' Attitudes Towards Patient Smoking Status During Enrollment in a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Healthcare Education

Background:

• Nicotine addiction presents significant challenges for smoking cessation.
• Pulmonary rehabilitation programs aim to improve lung function and quality of life for patients with chronic respiratory diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate healthcare students' attitudes towards including current smokers in pulmonary rehabilitation.
• To identify factors influencing these attitudes among students in Texas.

Main Methods:

• Survey distributed to healthcare students at public Texas colleges and universities with programs offering baccalaureate degrees and >5,000 enrollment.
• 114 participants, primarily from respiratory therapy and physical therapy programs, completed the survey.

Main Results:

• Older students (>37 years) were less inclined to accept smokers into pulmonary rehabilitation compared to younger students (18-22 years).
• Female students and younger participants showed more positive attitudes towards enrolling patients who smoke.
• Smoking history of students did not significantly impact their attitudes.

Conclusions:

• Student attitudes regarding the enrollment of smokers in pulmonary rehabilitation vary by age and gender.
• Further research is needed to understand and address potential biases in healthcare student attitudes towards patient inclusion in rehabilitation programs.