PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Study examines prevalence of smoking among health care professionals

2014-01-08
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Laura Perry
Lperry@sonnet.ucla.edu
818-212-6226
The JAMA Network Journals
Study examines prevalence of smoking among health care professionals A survey of health care professionals finds that in 2010-2011, current smoking among this group, except for licensed practical nurses, was lower than the general population, and that the majority had never smoked, according to a study in the January 8 issue of JAMA.

Smoking by health care professionals is a barrier to tobacco interventions with patients. From 2003 to 2006-2007, smoking prevalences among health care professionals demonstrated no significant declines, according to background information in the article.

Linda Sarna, Ph.D., R.N., of the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues conducted a study to assess changes in smoking status among health care professionals. The researchers obtained publicly available data from self-respondents to the Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey to compare smoking prevalences among health care professionals from 2003 to 2010-2011. Occupations included physicians, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, pharmacists, respiratory therapists and dental hygienists. Smoking status was defined as never smokers, former smokers, and current smokers.

The 2010-2011 survey data from 2,975 health care professionals indicated that approximately 8 percent were current smokers, ranging from 2 percent among physicians to 25 percent among licensed practical nurses (the rate of current smoking among the general population is 16 percent). There was a decline in prevalence of current smoking among these health care professionals from 2003 to 2010-2011, but the only group with a significant decline in prevalence of current smoking from 2006-2007 to 2010-2011 and from 2003 to 2010-2011 was registered nurses (from 11 percent to 7 percent; a 36 percent decline).

The only significant changes in proportions of those who quit by profession from 2006-2007 to 2010-2011 were among registered nurses (a 13 percent increase), and among licensed practical nurses (a 30 percent decrease).

"Recent declines in smoking among health care professionals may reflect the impact of national tobacco control policies and efforts focused on reducing smoking among registered nurses. After little change in prevalence from 2003 to 2006-2007, the drop in smoking among registered nurses was more than twice that of the 13 percent decrease in the population, and the proportion who have quit was higher than the general population estimate (53.62 percent). Continued smoking and diminished quitting among licensed practical nurses remains a serious concern," the authors write. ###(doi:10.1001/jama.2013.284871; Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com)

Editor's Note: This study was funded in part by a University of California, Los Angeles School of Nursing endowment to the lead author. The authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Dr. Sarna reports consulting for the International Society for Nurses in Cancer Care and receiving grant funding from Pfizer Independent Grants for Learning and Change. No other disclosures were reported.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Unique protein interaction may drive most common genetic cause of Parkinson's disease

2014-01-08
Unique protein interaction may drive most common genetic cause of Parkinson's disease Gladstone findings challenge conventional wisdom; point to new therapeutic strategies San Francisco, CA—January 7, 2013—The most devastating aspect of Parkinson's disease ...

Survival protein a potential new target for many cancers

2014-01-08
Survival protein a potential new target for many cancers Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers have discovered a promising strategy for treating cancers that are caused by one of the most common cancer-causing changes in cells. The discovery offers ...

Fit teenagers are less likely to have heart attacks in later life

2014-01-08
Fit teenagers are less likely to have heart attacks in later life Researchers in Sweden have found an association between a person's fitness as a teenager and their risk of heart attack in later life. In a study of nearly 750,000 men, they found that the more aerobically ...

Fight or flight and the evolution of pain

2014-01-08
Fight or flight and the evolution of pain Recent highlights in Molecular Biology and Evolution Hard wired into the survival mechanisms of all animals is the perception of pain. Different stimuli, such as heat or cold, foul odors, ...

Mega-landslide in giant Utah copper mine may have triggered earthquakes

2014-01-08
Mega-landslide in giant Utah copper mine may have triggered earthquakes January 2014 GSA Today science article Boulder, Colorado, USA – Landslides are one of the most hazardous aspects of our planet, causing billions of dollars in damage and thousands of deaths each year. ...

Of lice and men (and chimps): Study tracks pace of molecular evolution

2014-01-08
Of lice and men (and chimps): Study tracks pace of molecular evolution CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new study compares the relative rate of molecular evolution between humans and chimps with that of their lice. The researchers wanted to know whether evolution ...

Is multitasking mastery in the genes?

2014-01-08
Is multitasking mastery in the genes? Human factors/ergonomics researchers have long studied the connection between cognitive function and the ability to perform well on multiple simultaneous tasks, and recently a group of neuroergonomics researchers went a ...

Childhood fractures may indicate bone-density problems

2014-01-08
Childhood fractures may indicate bone-density problems ROCHESTER, Minn. — Broken bones may seem like a normal part of an active childhood. About 1 in 3 otherwise healthy children suffers a bone fracture. Breakage of the bone running from the elbow to the thumb side of the ...

Combined therapy benefits cigarette smokers trying to quit compared to monotherapy

2014-01-08
Combined therapy benefits cigarette smokers trying to quit compared to monotherapy ROCHESTER, Minn. — Jan. 7, 2014 — Among cigarette smokers, combining the smoking cessation medications varenicline and bupropion, compared with varenicline alone, resulted in higher smoking ...

New diagnostic and therapeutic techniques show potential for patients with metastasized melanoma

2014-01-08
New diagnostic and therapeutic techniques show potential for patients with metastasized melanoma Reston, Va. (January 7, 2014) – With low survival rates for patients with metastasized melanoma, accurate staging and effective treatments are critical to extending ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Older teens who start vaping post-high school risk rapid progress to frequent use

Corpse flowers are threatened by spotty recordkeeping

Riding the AI wave toward rapid, precise ocean simulations

Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?

Pink skies

Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research

Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered

% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?

An app can change how you see yourself at work

NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals

New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China

Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea

New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea

Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes

Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others

Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke

Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition

Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life

Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy

Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming

Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly

Alcohol makes male flies sexy

TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income

Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression

Scientists unveil starfish-inspired wearable tech for heart monitoring

Footprints reveal prehistoric Scottish lagoons were stomping grounds for giant Jurassic dinosaurs

AI effectively predicts dementia risk in American Indian/Alaska Native elders

First guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis calls for changes in practice to improve outcomes

Existing international law can help secure peace and security in outer space, study shows

[Press-News.org] Study examines prevalence of smoking among health care professionals