Preparedness of primary health care providers for tobacco cessation - Experiences from a non-communicable disease training program

Background: Tobacco use can lead to tobacco/nicotine dependence and serious health problems. Quitting smoking significantly reduces the risk of developing smoking-related diseases. In a low resource setting like India, the role of primary healthcare providers in tobacco cessation is immense. The current study was conducted with the objective of evaluating the preparedness, knowledge and attitude of the primary healthcare providers in tobacco cessation. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 289 trainees taking part in a non-communicable disease training in the calendar year 2015, held at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal were interviewed with a close-ended questionnaire on the demographic profile of participants, their preparedness, and current knowledge and attitude related with tobacco cessation activities. Results: Among the 289 trainees, majority of the study participants were staff nurses (54.7%) and medical officers (41.2%) with a mean (+/- Standard Deviation, range) age of 35 (+/- 10, 22-63) years predominantly from district and sub-district hospitals (52.9%). In total, 86.9% counsel their patients regarding tobacco cessation and 13.1% use nicotine replacement therapy in aiding tobacco cessation. 174 (60.2%) participants received on-job training of various duration on tobacco control, and 96 (33.2%) did not receive any training. Preparedness toward tobacco cessation was present in 15.01% (41) of the study participants. Conclusion: The study reveals that the majority of the healthcare providers were not prepared, and only half of the participants had favorable attitudes and practices of delivering tobacco cessation activities.