Smoking cessation advice: Knowledge, attitude, and practice among clinical dental students'

Abstract

Background:Smoking is the single most important public health challenge facing the National Health Service. The detrimental effects on the general health of tobacco smoking are well documented. Smoking is a primary risk factor for oral cancer and many oral diseases. Dental professional scan plays an important role in preventing adverse health effects by promoting smoking cessation.Objective:To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice among clinical dental students in giving smoking cessation advice and to explore the barriers to this activity.Materials and Methods:A total of 262 clinical dental trainee of two dental colleges (College of Dental Sciences and Bapuji Dental College) of Davangere city were included in the survey. A self-administered questionnaire was administered to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice toward Tobacco Cessation Advise.Results:Among the 262 participants in the study, around 51% said they know about Nicotine Replacement Therapy, and among them, only 4.6% were aware of the options available in the market. When asked about 5A's of tobacco cessation, only 35.5% were aware of it. Similarly, when asked about 5R's of tobacco cessation, 48.5% were unaware of it.Conclusions:The respondents did not have sufficient knowledge regarding tobacco cessation advice. With patient's disinterest and lack of time being quoted as the important barriers in providing tobacco cessation advice, it is highly recommended that there is need to incorporate few chapters on tobacco, its effect and cessation of habit in the undergraduate dental curriculum with simultaneous application of the same in clinical practice.

Global Status of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Tobacco Cessation Interventions Among Dental Professionals: A Systematic Review

“…All twelve studies 15,21,30,35,36,44,46,49,57,58,68,66 reported that study participants had a formal training in tobacco cessation (Figure 5) and among thirty one 16, 18,19,22,26,28-33,35,37,39, 41,42,44,48,50,52,53,55,56,58,59,61,67,70,66,68,71 studies which assessed barriers related to tobacco cessation interventions (Figure 6), time and training were cited to be the most common barriers.

Figure 5.Heatmap of questions on curriculum on tobacco cessation interventions.

Figure 6.Heatmap of questions on barrier towards tobacco cessation interventions.

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“…75,76 Since, the prevalence of tobacco is higher in the developing countries, 75 there should be provisions for generating awareness regarding tobacco cessation counseling among the healthcare professionals. Regarding the knowledge component, eleven studies 18,20,22,32,36,44,49,50,54,55,67 assessed the awareness on 5As and 5Rs of tobacco cessation and among those, 5 studies 36,44,50,54,67 showed awareness to be above 80%, however in certain studies 18,58,59 the practice of 5As was found to be as low as 11%, 18 therefore there is a further need to incorporate 5As as a major intervention for tobacco cessation, as it is an established method of brief tobacco counseling which is not time consuming. Four studies 41,49,50,54 enquired on the knowledge of Nicotine Replacement Therapy/Pharmacotherapy among the healthcare professionals and it was below 75% among all studies.…”

“…This finding is partly consistent with a systematic review of doctor's smoking status and their practice towards tobacco cessation interventions. 13 Only ten studies 22,29,35,37,43,49,51,59,68,66 reported the dental professionals were in the practice of prescribing NRT, which is very low and efforts must be undertaken to educate the dental professionals on NRT and pharmacotherapy as well. The most common barriers in providing tobacco cessation counseling as enlisted by the studies were time, 16,22,26,29,32,33,37,39,41,42,44,48,50,52,53,58,59,61,67,70,66,68,71 followed by training, 18,22,[28][29][30][31][32]35,37,39,44,48,52,…”

“…18,19,30,[33][34][35]43,46,47,49,50,54,56,66 The practice of 5As was followed more as compared to 5Rs, as evident from Figure 4. It was also observed that brief counseling was more prevalent as compared to prescribing NRT, 22,29,35,37,43,49,51,59,68,66 drugs. 22,41,44,49,68,66 All twelve studies 15,21,30,35,36,44,46,49,57,58,68,66 reported that study participants had a formal training in tobacco cessation (Figure 5) and among thirty one 16,18,19,22,26,[28]…”

“…It was also observed that brief counseling was more prevalent as compared to prescribing NRT, 22,29,35,37,43,49,51,59,68,66 drugs. 22,41,44,49,68,66 All twelve studies 15,21,30,35,36,44,46,49,57,58,68,66 reported that study participants had a formal training in tobacco cessation (Figure 5) and among thirty one 16,18,19,22,26,[28][29][30][31][32][33]35,37,39,41,42,44,48,50,52,53,55,…”