Prevalence of smoking and use of nicotine-containing products among medical students and physicians in CIS countries: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: To implement effective measures to reduce smoking and the use of novel nicotine-containing products among medical students and physicians, objective national-level data on smoking behavior are required. AIM: This work aimed to assess the prevalence of smoking and use of nicotine-containing products among medical students and primary care physicians in the CIS. METHODS: A cross-sectional consent-based survey was conducted. An online questionnaire administered via an electronic platform was used to assess the type of products consumed, frequency and duration of use, age of initiation, attempts to quit smoking, exposure to passive smoking, awareness of nicotine-related health risks, and availability of smoking cessation programs. RESULTS: The study included 9222 students and 1599 physicians from five countries. The prevalence of smoking among students and physicians, respectively, was: Russia 20.3% and 17.1%; Belarus 17.0% and 18.3%; Kyrgyzstan 15.4% and 6.8%; Kazakhstan 8.2% and 12.8%; Uzbekistan 3.2% and 5.9%. Smoking prevalence among women was lower than among men in all countries (p 0.05), except among students in Belarus (p 0.05). The prevalence of nicotine-containing product use (including combined use with conventional cigarettes) did not differ between men and women among students in most countries, except in Kyrgyzstan (p 0.05). The primary risk factors for smoking among students, regardless of country, were smoking by friends and smoking by classmates or dormitory roommates. Among physicians, 3.7%–12.5% of men and 10%–50% of women who reported quitting tobacco continued to use electronic cigarettes. Male physicians were more frequently exposed to passive smoking at work, whereas female physicians were more frequently exposed at home. Attitudes of healthcare professionals toward tobacco products and electronic cigarettes remarkably influenced the likelihood of using specific forms of smoking. CONCLUSION: This study expands current data on the prevalence of smoking, including passive smoking, as well as on cross-country similarities and differences in smoking behavior and smoking-related risk factors among healthcare professionals.

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