278852
Providing tobacco dependence treatment and counseling prior to medical school: Associations with tobacco knowledge, self-reported tobacco counseling skills and intentions
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Rui S. Xiao, MPH,
Clinical and Population Health Research PhD Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
Rashelle B. Hayes, PhD,
Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
Linda C. Churchill, MS,
Health Statistics and Geography Lab, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
Denise Jolicoeur, MPH, CHES,
Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
Alan Geller, RN, MPH,
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Judith K. Ockene, PhD, MEd, MA,
Health Statistics and Geography Lab, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
Background: Training in tobacco dependence counseling during medical school influences tobacco treatment-related attitudes. First year medical students may vary in their prior tobacco dependence counseling experiences, which may influence their tobacco treatment-related attitudes and opinions. Our objectives were to 1) assess prior clinical experiences including prior generic counseling and prior tobacco dependence counseling experiences (PTDCE) among first year medical students, and 2) examine if PTDCE were associated with tobacco counseling intentions, self-reported skills, general tobacco knowledge, and perceived effectiveness of tobacco treatment. Methods: We surveyed first year medical students (N=1381) across 10 US Medical Schools. Our survey obtained students' demographic information, prior clinical and counseling experiences, self-reported counseling skills and tobacco-related attitudes and opinions. Results: Nearly half of first-year medical students (48%; n=664) reported prior experiences in patient care, 12% (n=165) received prior training in counseling and 49% (n=682) reported PTDCE. PTDCE was significantly associated with greater intentions to treat smokers (p<0.01) and greater self-reported tobacco counseling skills (p<0.05). Students with PTDCE were also more likely to believe in the effectiveness of behavioral counseling (OR=1.65, p<0.05) and the effectiveness of physician counseling (OR=1.44, p<0.05), compared to those without PTDCE. PTDCE was not associated with believing that nicotine replacement therapy or medication with behavioral counseling treatment was effective. Conclusions: Many medical students report PTDCE. Exposure to tobacco experiences prior to medical school is associated with positive tobacco treatment-related attitudes. Early opportunities for tobacco counseling experiences before and during medical school may contribute to more frequent provision of tobacco treatment by physicians.
Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related education
Learning Objectives:
Assess the association between tobacco dependence counseling experiences prior to medical school and tobacco treatment-related attitudes and opinions
Keyword(s): Tobacco, Counseling
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a student at Clinical and Population Health Research PhD Program. I have been working on the project of medical students help patients quit smoking for six months. Among my research interests has been training medical professionals on the counseling skills of tobacco dependence treatment.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
