Are age and gender associated to tobacco use and knowledge among general practitioners? Results of a survey in Italy

Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge and opinions of Italian general practitioners about the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions and physicians' attitudes in addressing tobacco-related issues. Methods. The survey was carried out through a questionnaire administered to general practitioners (GPs) attending a medical refresher course. 133 Italian GPs participated in the study with a mean age of 51.4 years (SD = 6.2). Results. The GPs had good knowledge about the predictors of smoking onset, pharmacotherapies for tobacco cessation and the clinical guidelines recommendations. Wrong answers were encountered for the prevalence of smokers in Italy, the Fagerstrom Test for nicotine dependence and minimal advice. Females were more subjected to higher knowledge about tobacco, and at lower risk to be a smoker/ex smoker. Furthermore, physicians >= 50 years old living in northern Italy had higher knowledge score. Conclusions. Physician education on tobacco counseling is associated to increased comfort and practice in advising patients who smoke. Tobacco cessation training might increase the success rate of helping patients to quit smoking.