Smoking cessation education during residency training: A national study of OB/GYN residency programs

Introduction: Helping pregnant women stop smoking is a national health priority. OB/GYN physicians play a major role in smoking cessation. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that physicians be actively involved in smoking cessation. No studies, to date, have examined what OB/GYN residency programs in the United States teach regarding tobacco use and smoking cessation.

Purpose: To determine what OB/GYN residents in the United States are taught regarding smoking cessation.

Methods: A valid and reliable questionnaire was mailed (4-wave mailing) to all OB/GYN Residency Directors in the U.S.; 160 surveys were completed (58% return rate). The questionnaire assessed whether residencies had a tobacco education curriculum, how much time was invested in specific teaching topics, learning requirements for residents, teaching methods, methods of evaluating residents' competence, and barriers to offering tobacco education.

Results: 50% of respondents reported that they did not have a tobacco education curriculum and provided no tobacco-related teaching to residents; 40% had a formal curriculum; 10% reported having no formal tobacco education curriculum, but did teach tobacco-related content informally. Nearly 2/3 of residency programs (63%) did not formally evaluate residents' competence in helping patients with cessation. In terms of barriers to tobacco education, directors reported lack of time (51%), residents already received this teaching in medical school (34%), and smoking cessation is not a priority for future practice (27%).

Conclusion: The majority of OB/GYN residents in the United States do not receive strong training and education in the areas of tobacco use and smoking cessation.