Profile of smokers and the role of dentists in tobacco use cessation: a cross-sectional study in southern Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Pithan, Sílvia Ataide
• Data de Publicação: 2017
• Outros Autores: Dummel, Carolina, Dullius, Ângela Isabel dos Santos
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista odonto ciência (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://revistaseletronicas.pucrs.br/ojs/index.php/fo/article/view/26822
• topic: Tobacco; Tobacco use cessation; Nicotine; Health profile; Dentists; Tabaco; Abandono do hábito de fumar; Nicotina; Perfil de saúde; Odontólogos

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the profile of smokers in a dental school in southern Brazil and their views about the role of dentists in tobacco use cessation.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out with patients of a dental school, who answered a face-to-face interview. Smokers also took the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi Square test with a significance level of 5%.RESULTS: The sample consisted of 442 patients, and 93 patients (21.04%) were smokers. The lower the level of schooling the higher the frequency of smokers (p=0.026), and the frequency of nonsmokers was associated with higher income (p=0.021). Regarding the role of dentists in smoking cessation, 97.8% of smokers believe that the dentist should provide information and advice, but 36.6% did not receive any orientation from dentists.CONCLUSION: The study had found a higher frequency of smokers among men and an association between smoking and schooling as well as smoking and income. The majority of smokers would like to quit smoking and had tried at least once to stop. The sample believes that dentists should give information and advice about smoking cessation.