PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Nawi Ng
AU  - Yayi Suryo Prabandari
AU  - Retna Siwi Padmawati
AU  - Felix Okah
AU  - C Keith Haddock
AU  - Mark Nichter
AU  - Mimi Nichter
AU  - Myra Muramoto
AU  - Walker S C Poston
AU  - Sara A Pyle
AU  - Nurazid Mahardinata
AU  - Harry A Lando
TI  - Physician assessment of patient smoking in Indonesia: a public health priority
AID  - 10.1136/tc.2006.018895
DP  - 2007 Jun 01
TA  - Tobacco Control
PG  - 190--196
VI  - 16
IP  - 3
4099  - http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/16/3/190.short
4100  - http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/16/3/190.full
SO  - Tob Control2007 Jun 01; 16
AB  - Objective: To explore Indonesian physician’s smoking behaviours, their attitudes and clinical practices towards smoking cessation. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: Physicians working in Jogjakarta Province, Indonesia, between October and December 2003. Subjects: 447 of 690 (65%) physicians with clinical responsibilities responded to the survey (236 men, 211 women), of which 15% were medical faculty, 35% residents and 50% community physicians. Results: 22% of male (n = 50) and 1% of female (n = 2) physicians were current smokers. Approximately 72% of physicians did not routinely ask about their patient’s smoking status. A majority of physicians (80%) believed that smoking up to 10 cigarettes a day was not harmful for health. The predictors for asking patients about smoking were being male, a non-smoker and a medical resident. The odds of advising patients to quit were significantly greater among physicians who perceived themselves as sufficiently trained in smoking cessation. Conclusions: Lack of training in smoking cessation seems to be a major obstacle to physicians actively engaging in smoking cessation activities. Indonesian physicians need to be educated on the importance of routinely asking their patients about their tobacco use and offering practical advice on how to quit smoking.