Prevalence of tobacco use in healthcare workers: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objectives To estimate tobacco use prevalence in healthcare workers (HCW) by country income level, occupation and sex, and compare the estimates with the prevalence in the general population. Methods We systematically searched five databases; Medline, EMBASE, CINHAL Plus, CAB Abstracts, and LILACS for original studies published between 2000 and March 2016 without language restriction. All primary studies that reported tobacco use in any category of HCW were included. Study extraction and quality assessment were conducted independently by three reviewers, using a standardised data extraction and quality appraisal form. We performed random effect meta-analyses to obtain prevalence estimates by World Bank (WB) country income level, sex, and occupation. Data on prevalence of tobacco use in the general population were obtained from the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Health Observatory website. The review protocol registration number on PROSPERO is CRD42016041231. Results 229 studies met our inclusion criteria, representing 457,415 HCW and 63 countries: 29 high-income countries (HIC), 21 upper-middle-income countries (UMIC), and 13 lower-middle-and-low-income countries (LMLIC). The overall pooled prevalence of tobacco use in HCW was 21%, 31% in males and 17% in females. Highest estimates were in male doctors in UMIC and LMLIC, 35% and 45%, and female nurses in HIC and UMIC, 21% and 25%. Heterogeneity was high (I 2 > 90%). Country level comparison suggest that in HIC male HCW tend to have lower prevalence compared with males in the general population while in females the estimates were similar. Male and female HCW in UMIC and LMLIC tend to have similar or higher prevalence rates relative to their counterparts in the general population. Conclusions HCW continue to use tobacco at high rates. Tackling HCW tobacco use requires urgent action as they are at the front line for tackling tobacco use in their patients.

Prevalence of Depression and its Impact on Quality of Life among Frontline Otorhinolaryngology Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China: A National Survey

“…Previous studies found that smoking was associated with higher risk of physical diseases and mental problems (e.g., depression) (Chang et al, 2020, Fluharty et al, 2017, Mathew et al, 2017. We found that depressed ENT healthcare workers were more likely to smoke, which echoed previous ndings (Nilan et al, 2019, Schneider et al, 2019 According to the distress/protection QOL model (Voruganti et al, 1998), QOL was closely associated with the interaction between protective (e.g., high self-esteem and good social support) and distressing factors (e.g., physical and mental distress). We found that ENT nurses with depression had a lower QOL compared to the those without, which is consistent with previous ndings (Benedek et al, 2007, Mammen andFaulkner, 2013).…”

COVID-19 Pandemic and the Mental Health of Health Care Workers: Awareness to Action

“…Tobacco use is quite prevalent in HCWs with a recent systematic review and meta-analysis reporting a pooled prevalence of 21%. 28 Studies on alcohol use and dependence in HCWs are limited. Some studies have reported hazardous or harmful drinking in approximately 4 to 6% of the HCWs.…”

Effectiveness of Lifestyle Health Promotion Interventions for Nurses: A Systematic Review

“…Nurses are at the frontline of public health and spend considerable time promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours to patients and their families. However, studies of lifestyle behaviours in nurses have typically shown a pattern of non-adherence to public health guidelines around physical activity (PA), sedentary behaviour (SB), diet, smoking and alcohol consumption [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Overweight and obesity have been found to be significantly higher amongst nurses than other healthcare professionals and those working in non-health-related occupations [9].…”