Abstract

Background: There is however widespread under-appreciation of the health effects of tobacco use. Among available interventions to reduce tobacco-associated mortality, it is now estimated that tobacco cessation is more likely to avert millions of deaths over the next few decades than the prevention of tobacco use initiation. The present study was conducted to assess knowledge among medical students regarding tobacco-attributable disease burden & their attitudes about usage.

Materials & Methods: It included 660 medical students who were provided with 20- item questionnaire (cognitive, attitude, and practice) relating to tobacco control. All were also asked to rate subjectively, using a 3-point descriptive scale, the adequacy of their proficiency in tobacco control management, and interest in further training for tobacco control.

Results: Out of 660 subjects, males were 210 and females were 450. The difference was significant (P-0.02). 22% think that control of use of tobacco is beyond the scope of healthcare professional, 43% of them had serious reservations about patients' ability to quit tobacco use, 12% responded that their patients should wait till their problems are sorted before trying to quit, 65% thought its duty of patients to demand help if they really want to quit. 81% of doctors asked their patients about tobacco use in any form, only 50% advised them to quit, 32% assessed readiness to quit, only 28% assisted to quit and 21% arranged for follow up. The difference was significant (P<0.05). 65% doctors thought that their training is below average, 8% thought it is average and 27% replied it as above average. The difference was significant (P<0.05).

Conclusion: There is need to trained the medical students regarding various tobacco control programmes. Their knowledge regarding various programmes was low.

Keywords: Awareness, Medical, Tobacco.