Attitudes and practices of African-American physicians toward smoking interventions: an earlier study

A paucity of data exists regarding the smoking prevention and cessation practices of African-American physicians. Advice from a physician is an important strategy in helping patients quit smoking. This article presents the results of a national survey conducted in the mid- 1980s of African-American physicians about their attitudes and practices toward smoking cessation and prevention. In this study, an adjusted response rate of 54% was achieved, yielding 188 returned questionnaires. Four specific smoking intervention practices were examined as dependent variables: (1) exploring patients' feelings about smoking; (2) discussing smoking with patients' families; (3) providing educational materials to patients; and (4) recording patients' smoking status in the medical charts. The proportion of African-American physician smokers in this study (16%) was greater than the reported rates (5% to 10%) of other physicians but well below the national average for African Americans (32.9%) in 1987. In bivariate analyses of the professional and demographic predictors, age, medical specialty, practice setting, physician smoking status, and certain attitudinal variables were significantly related to smoking intervention practices. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that older physicians were less likely to discuss smoking with a patient's family and to record patient smoking status and that respondents who felt their advice was effective were more likely to explore a patient's feelings about smoking.