A Cross-Sectional Study On The Prevalence And Attitudes Towards Tobacco Use Among Healthcare Professionals In Mizoram.

Abstract: Background: The average lifespan of smokers is often ten years shorter than that of non-smokers. Accelerated adoption of anti-tobacco and tobacco use cessation initiatives is necessary since health professionals are viewed as role models for health promotion, despite their higher tobacco use rates. Methods: An online cross-sectional descriptive survey was completed by 426 healthcare professionals from Mizoram, including nurses, doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and multipurpose health workers, using a self-administering questionnaire adapted from the Global Tobacco Surveillance System. The tool's scale-content validity indices showed Cronbach's alpha values of 0.894 and 0.985 following psychometric testing. A significance level of 5% was used for statistical analysis. Results: 47.2% of the participants used tobacco. 41.9% of the nurses' participants used tobacco, compared to 64.7%, of dentists who did not. More than half of the physicians 53.3%, multipurpose health workers 58%, and pharmacists 52.2% were tobacco users. Among the tobacco users, 9.2% solely smoked, 34% only used smokeless tobacco, and 4%, both smoked and used smokeless tobacco. Individuals' attributes such as gender, eating habits, and length of service are significantly correlated with their attitudes regarding tobacco usage. Conclusion: The rate of tobacco use among healthcare professionals is alarming and requires appropriate interventions.