Abstract
Aim: To assess prevalence of tobacco use among inpatients and associated factors.
Methods: A validated questionnaire-based interview was carried out among inpatients in two convenience hospitals in Portugal. Sample sizes were calculated to be representative of each hospital. In each hospital, inpatients were randomly selected from the daily updated admission list. Tobacco use before and during hospitalization was self-reported and assessed by measurement of exhaled carbon monoxide (CO). Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted using man-Whitney and Chi-squared tests, and logistic regression.
Results: Of the 298 participants, 57.7% were females, mean age was 63.4±16.5 (range: 19-92), 58.1% never used tobacco. Prevalence of tobacco use before hospitalization was 19.4% (32.8% in males versus 7.3% in females, p<0.001) and did not significantly vary between the two hospitals. Similarly, smoking in the hospital premises did not significantly vary between the two hospitals: in total, 34.5% patients reported smoking in the premises; CO was ≥ 7 in 30.9% of smokers. The great majority (63.8%) expressed strong desire to quit. Males (aOR: 10.8, 95CI% 4.6-25.2, p<0.001), those aged ≤55 years (aOR:7.5, 95CI% 3.4-16.2,p<0.001), and those with medium level of education (aOR:2.6, 95CI% 1.1-6.3,p=0.03), were more likely to use tobacco.
Conclusions: Prevalence and trends of tobacco use among inpatients is similar to the one observed in the general population. One third of hospitalised smokers smoke in hospital premises. Screening tobacco use among inpatients and offering support to quit should be a systematic, system-level approach in hospitals.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2019; 54: Suppl. 63, PA1694.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2019