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Knowledge of and attitudes toward the WHO MPOWER policies to reduce tobacco use at the population level: a comparison between third-year and sixth-year medical students

ABSTRACT

Objective:

To evaluate third- and sixth-year medical students in Brazil in terms of their knowledge of and attitudes toward the WHO MPOWER policies to reduce tobacco use.

Methods:

The WHO Global Health Professions Student Survey was applied in five cohorts of medical students evaluated in their third and sixth years of medical school, between 2008 and 2015. Comparisons were drawn between the two years of medical school in terms of the proportions of students who experimented with or used tobacco products in the last 30 days prior to the survey; knowledge of and compliance with smoke-free policies on the university campus; formal training on smoking cessation strategies; and self-recognition as role models for patients/society.

Results:

Of the 943 students who completed the survey, approximately 6% had smoked cigarettes in the last 30 days prior to the survey. Comparing the third and sixth years of medical school, we observed a significant increase in the proportion of students who were knowledgeable about smoking cessation strategies (22.74% vs. 95.84%; p < 0.001) and in that of those who recognized their role as models for patients/society (84.5% vs. 89.7%; p = 0.023). Student knowledge of the smoking policies on the university campus was associated with an increase in self-recognition as role models (adjusted absolute difference = 6.7%; adjusted p = 0.050).

Conclusions:

Knowledge of smoking cessation strategies and self-recognition as role models for patients/society increase over the course of medical school and are associated with the implementation of smoke-free policies.

Keywords:
World Health Organization; Education, public health professional; Students, medical; Tobacco; Capacity building; Health behavior

RESUMO

Objetivo:

Avaliar estudantes de medicina do terceiro e sexto anos no Brasil em relação a seu conhecimento e atitudes sobre as políticas MPOWER da OMS para redução do uso do tabaco.

Métodos:

A Pesquisa Global de Estudantes de Profissões da Saúde da OMS foi aplicada em cinco coortes de estudantes de medicina avaliados no terceiro e sexto anos da graduação, entre 2008 e 2015. Foram feitas comparações entre os dois anos da graduação em relação às proporções de estudantes que experimentaram ou fizeram uso de produtos de tabaco nos últimos 30 dias antes da pesquisa; conhecimento e cumprimento das políticas antifumo no campus universitário; treinamento formal sobre estratégias de cessação do tabagismo; e autorreconhecimento como modelo de comportamento para pacientes/sociedade.

Resultados:

Dos 943 estudantes que preencheram a pesquisa, aproximadamente 6% haviam fumado cigarro nos últimos 30 dias antes da pesquisa. Ao compararmos o terceiro e sexto anos da graduação, observamos um aumento significativo na proporção de estudantes que tinham conhecimento sobre estratégias de cessação do tabagismo (22,74% vs. 95,84%; p < 0,001) e na daqueles que reconheciam seu papel como modelo para pacientes/sociedade (84,5% vs. 89,7%; p = 0,023). O conhecimento dos estudantes sobre as políticas de tabagismo existentes no campus universitário associou-se ao aumento no autorreconhecimento como modelo de comportamento (diferença absoluta ajustada = 6,7%; p ajustado = 0,050).

Conclusões:

O conhecimento sobre estratégias de cessação do tabagismo e a autorreconhecimento como modelo de comportamento para pacientes/sociedade aumentaram ao longo da graduação e estão associados à implementação de políticas antifumo.

Descritores:
Organização Mundial da Saúde; Educação profissional em saúde pública; Estudantes de medicina; Tabaco; Fortalecimento institucional; Comportamentos relacionados com a saúde

INTRODUCTION

Every year, tobacco use kills more than 8 million people worldwide.11 Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization. [homepage on the Internet]. Washington DC: PAHO; c2019 [cited 2019 Oct 17]. Tobacco kills one person every 34 seconds in the Americas [about 4 screens]. Available from: https://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15229:tobacco-kills-one-person-every-34-seconds-in-the-americas&Itemid=1926⟨=pt
https://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option...
In 2008, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control drafted six key policies to reduce demand for tobacco products. These measures are known as MPOWER, an acronym for the following recommendations: Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies; Protect people from tobacco smoke; Offer help to quit; Warn about the dangers of tobacco; Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship; and Raise taxes on tobacco.22 World Health Organization [homepage on the Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; c2008 [cited 2019 Oct 17]. Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2008 - The MPOWER package. [Adobe Acrobat document, 342p.]. Available from: http://www.who.int/tobacco/mpower/mpower_report_full_2008.pdf
http://www.who.int/tobacco/mpower/mpower...

The seventh WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic,33 World Health Organization [homepage on the Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; c2019 [cited 2019 Oct 17]. Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2019 - Offer help to quit tobacco use. Available from: https://www.who.int/tobacco/global_report/en/
https://www.who.int/tobacco/global_repor...
launched in Brazil in July of 2019, was a milestone for tobacco control policies in the country. On that occasion, Brazil was recognized as the second country in the world to implement, at the highest level, all of the measures contained in the MPOWER package.

Most smokers want to quit, and the chance of cessation increases with health professionals offering help to quit tobacco use (behavioral and/or pharmacological approach). Offering help to quit smoking is a cost-effective population-based intervention.33 World Health Organization [homepage on the Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; c2019 [cited 2019 Oct 17]. Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2019 - Offer help to quit tobacco use. Available from: https://www.who.int/tobacco/global_report/en/
https://www.who.int/tobacco/global_repor...
,44 The W. Curbing the epidemic: governments and the economics of tobacco control. The World Bank. Tob Control. 1999;8(2):196-201. https://doi.org/10.1136/tc.8.2.196
https://doi.org/10.1136/tc.8.2.196...
The WHO report emphasized the need to expand the Offer policy, by making more smoking cessation facilities available as an essential component of any tobacco control strategy.33 World Health Organization [homepage on the Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; c2019 [cited 2019 Oct 17]. Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2019 - Offer help to quit tobacco use. Available from: https://www.who.int/tobacco/global_report/en/
https://www.who.int/tobacco/global_repor...
Moreover, the WHO report highlighted that when offering help to quit smoking comes together with other tobacco control strategies, such as tax raises and smoking bans, that policy has a greater impact.33 World Health Organization [homepage on the Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; c2019 [cited 2019 Oct 17]. Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2019 - Offer help to quit tobacco use. Available from: https://www.who.int/tobacco/global_report/en/
https://www.who.int/tobacco/global_repor...

In order to continue expanding the smoking treatment network, apart from increasing the availability of pharmacological therapy, ongoing attention to the formal training of future health professionals on smoking cessation approaches is necessary.55 2008 PHS Guideline Update Panel, Liaisons, and Staff. Treating tobacco use and dependence: 2008 update U.S. Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline executive summary. Respir Care. 2008;53(9):1217-1222.

6 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [homepage on the Internet]. Atlanta (GA): CDC; c2020 [cited 2020 Mar 12]. Smoking & Tobacco Use. Surgeon General's Reports on Smoking and Health. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/index.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statist...
-77 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [homepage on the Internet]. Atlanta (GA): CDC; c2020 [cited 2020 Mar 12]. Smoking & Tobacco Use. Education and Training. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/for-health-care-providers/education-training/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_inform...
In this sense, we assume that if medical students are aware of the benefits of smoking cessation, they will be more likely to avoid smoking themselves and will act as role models for their patients.88 Mann KV. Theoretical perspectives in medical education: past experience and future possibilities. Med Educ. 2011;45(1):60-68. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2010.03757.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2010...

The present study aimed to evaluate medical students in Brazil in terms of their knowledge of and attitudes toward the WHO MPOWER policies to reduce tobacco use in the population, over the course of medical school. Therefore, third- and sixth-year medical students completed the WHO Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS).99 Global Tobacco Surveillance System Collaborating Group. Global Tobacco Surveillance System (GTSS): purpose, production, and potential. J Sch Health. 2005;75(1):15-24. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2005.tb00004.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2005...

METHODS

This was a prospective cohort study conducted among undergraduate third- and sixth-year medical students at the University of São Paulo School of Medicine, located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Information about the objectives of the current study was provided in the classroom by the authors responsible for the study. Students signed an informed consent form and then completed the WHO GHPSS.99 Global Tobacco Surveillance System Collaborating Group. Global Tobacco Surveillance System (GTSS): purpose, production, and potential. J Sch Health. 2005;75(1):15-24. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2005.tb00004.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2005...
The survey has been translated into Portuguese and validated for use in Brazil.1010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [homepage on the Internet]. Atlanta (GA): CDC; c2020 [cited 2020 Mar 24]. Global Tobacco Surveillance System Data (GTSSData). Available from: https://nccd.cdc.gov/GTSSDataSurveyResources/Ancillary/DataReports.aspx?CAID=2
https://nccd.cdc.gov/GTSSDataSurveyResou...
,1111 Almeida LM, Szklo AS, Souza MC, Sampaio MMA, Mendonça AL, Martins LFL, editors. Global adult tobacco survey: Brazil report. Rio de Janeiro: INCA; 2010. 208 p.

Third-year medical students completed the survey in June of 2008-2012. Those third-year medical students, when they were in their sixth year of medical school (i.e., between 2011 and 2015), were invited to complete the same survey again, which created five student cohorts to be followed. In addition, we collected the answers of the sixth-year students who were not in the classroom in their third year of medical school when the survey had been applied in the previous years. It is important to mention that, of a total of 175 third-year students enrolled in the medical school annually between 2008 and 2012 (N = 875), 556 (63.5%) completed the survey. Of the sixth-year medical students, 110, 61, 82, 66, and 68 completed the survey in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively, totaling 387 (44.2%) of the total number of enrolled students (N = 875). Moreover, 203 (36.5%) of the third-year students were successfully followed up over the study period.

For descriptive statistical analysis, we selected the following variables related to the current and future implementation of the MPOWER policies at the university-Monitor: prevalence of cigarette use, proportion of experimentation with other forms of tobacco (chewing tobacco, snuff, bidis, cigars, or pipes), and proportion of experimentation with water pipes1212 Governo do Estado de São Paulo. Assembleia Legislativa do Estado de São Paulo [homepage on the Internet]. Lei no 13.541, de 7 de maio de 2009. Proíbe o consumo de cigarros, cigarrilhas, charutos, cachimbos ou de qualquer outro produto fumígeno, derivado ou não do tabaco, na forma que especifica. [about 2 screens]. 13541/09. Available from: https://www.al.sp.gov.br/repositorio/legislacao/lei/2009/lei-13541-07.05.2009.html
https://www.al.sp.gov.br/repositorio/leg...
; Protect: protecting people from tobacco smoke was analyzed by the dichotomous variable related to the perception of the enforcement of smoking ban in the university (“Does your school have an official smoking ban policy in school buildings and clinics?” and “Is your school’s official smoking ban in school buildings and clinics enforced?”); Offer: students who reported having received formal training on smoking cessation strategies (“Have you received any formal training to address the issue of smoking cessation with patients at the medical school?”); and self-recognition as role models for patients/society (“Do you recognize yourself as a role model for your patients and the population?”).1313 Barengo NC, Sandström HP, Jormanainen VJ, Myllykangas MT. Attitudes and behaviours in smoking cessation among general practitioners in Finland 2001. Soz Praventivmed. 2005;50(6):355-360. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-005-4097-z
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-005-4097-...
,1414 Abdulateef DS, Ali AJ, Abdulateef DS, Mohesh MI. Smoking Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Among Health Care Professionals from Sulaymaniyah City/Iraq. Tob Use Insights. 2016;9:1-6. https://doi.org/10.4137/TUI.S38171
https://doi.org/10.4137/TUI.S38171...

For all descriptive statistical analyses, the chi-square test was used in order to compare the corresponding proportions between medical school years among all third- and sixth-year medical students who completed the survey. We also considered a secondary analytical sample for descriptive analyses that consisted of students who were successfully followed up over time (36.5% of the third-year students) in order to control for unmeasured characteristics that might otherwise confound the results. Moreover, among the students who were not lost to follow-up, in order to assess a possible mechanism to explain the relationship between school year and student perception of their role as models for patients/society (Figure 1), the differences in the proportion between third- and six-year medical students who answered “yes” to the question “Do you recognize yourself as a role model for your patients and the population?” were simultaneously adjusted for demographic and socioenvironmental variables. Because the response variable was dichotomous (i.e., yes or no), and given the public health implications of our study, crude absolute differences in the proportions were obtained from a generalized linear model using the binomial family and Gaussian link function.1515 Wacholder S. Binomial regression in GLIM: estimating risk ratios and risk differences. Am J Epidemiol. 1986;123(1):174-184. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114212
https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.a...
,1616 Szklo M, Nieto F. Epidemiology: beyond the basics. 3rd ed. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2012. Overall differences by medical school year in the proportions of the “role model” variable were simultaneously adjusted for age, smoking status, and the “smoking ban” variable (model A); then, we also added to the model the selected question about the curriculum “Have you received any formal training on how to approach smokers?” (model B); and, finally, we also considered a sensitivity analysis that included the entire baseline sample (third-year students), that is, students who were and were not lost to follow-up.

Figure 1
Schematic representation of the mechanisms to explain the relationship between school year and the research questions of interest.

All analyses were performed with the Stata statistical software package, version 15.0 (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX, USA), and the study was approved by the research ethics committee of the institution (CAPPesq no. 0277/08).

RESULTS

Table 1 shows that there was a higher proportion of males who completed the survey among third-year medical students than among sixth-year students, although that difference was not statistically significant. The mean age of third- and sixth-year medical students was 22.2 years and 24.6 years, respectively. A low proportion of cigarette consumption and a high proportion of experimentation with water pipes were found in both groups.

Table 1
Demographic data, smoking status, and selected answers to the WHO Global Health Professions Student Survey of third-year medical students (2008-2012) and sixth-year medical students (2011-2015). University of São Paulo School of Medicine, Brazil.a

We found a statistically significant increase in the proportion of medical students who reported having received formal training on smoking cessation approaches (22.7% in the third-year group vs. 95.8% in the sixth-year group), as well as in the perception of compliance with the environmental tobacco smoke control policy inside university buildings/hospitals (59.3% vs. 69.0%). Detailed information on the proportion of students who stated that the smoking ban in school buildings and clinics is enforced can be found in the supplementary material.

The proportion of affirmative answers to the question regarding self-recognition as role models for patients/society was high in both groups, being higher in the sixth-year-student group (89.7% vs. 84.5%). Additional descriptive analyses, such as the prevalence of use of and experimentation with other forms of tobacco (stratified by sex), as well as the attitudes toward, beliefs about, and knowledge of such products, can be found in the supplementary material.

Table 2 shows that the proportion of males, the proportion of experimentation with water pipes, and the mean age of third-year medical students who were lost to follow-up were significantly higher than were those observed among students who were successfully followed-up. However, both subgroups showed similar proportions of smokers and answered similarly the questions regarding formal training, perception of smoking ban, and self-recognition as role models. Moreover, comparisons regarding demographic data, smoking status, and selected answers to the WHO GHPSS between third- and sixth-year medical students who were successfully followed up revealed similar results to those found for the overall sample of third- and sixth-year medical students who completed the survey (Table 1).

Table 2
Demographic data, smoking status, and selected answers to the WHO Global Health Professions Student Survey of third-year medical students (lost and not lost to follow-up subgroups) and sixth-year medical students (not lost to follow-up). University of São Paulo School of Medicine, Brazil.a

Table 3 shows that there was an increase in student perception of being role models (regarding smoking) for patients/society from the third to the sixth year of medical school (crude absolute difference = +6.9%), although that increase was not found when the statistical model was adjusted for other demographic and socioenvironmental variables. Model B suggests that the effect of the school year was primarily mediated by having received formal training on smoking cessation strategies (crude absolute difference = +6.4%). The variable “having knowledge of the compliance with the smoking ban policy on the university campus” was also associated with an increase (crude and adjusted absolute difference) in student perception of being role models for patients and the general population.

Table 3
Crude and adjusted absolute differences in student self-recognition as role models for patients/society among medical students who were successfully followed up, by school year, demographic variable, and socioenvironmental variable.

We included the entire sample of third-year medical students in the sensitivity analysis (Table 4), and the main conclusions based on Table 3 remained unaltered.

Table 4
Crude and adjusted absolute differences in student self-recognition as role models for patients/society among the overall sample of medical students, by school year, demographic variable, and socioenvironmental variable .

DISCUSSION

From 2008 to 2015, the present study monitored third- and sixth-year medical students at the University of São Paulo School of Medicine on various issues related to smoking, and it revealed that the academic/university environment had a positive and transforming impact on those students.

Sixth-year medical students reported a significant increase in their knowledge of the approach to smoking treatment and in their perception of their role as behavioral models for patients/society, when compared with third-year students (MPOWER Offer strategy).

Formal training on smoking cessation approaches probably had an impact on the increase in self-efficacy and expanded the repertoire of the students on topics related to smoking cessation to be used with smokers in the future (MPOWER Offer strategy). A study involving medical students from Finland revealed that the lack of ability to address smokers appropriately during a clinical consultation stems from the lack of specific training.1313 Barengo NC, Sandström HP, Jormanainen VJ, Myllykangas MT. Attitudes and behaviours in smoking cessation among general practitioners in Finland 2001. Soz Praventivmed. 2005;50(6):355-360. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-005-4097-z
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-005-4097-...
Moreover, a study conducted in Iraq found that physicians who were smokers and reported having received formal training on smoking cessation during their university education recognized that they could have a more positive impact on the population if they quit smoking.1414 Abdulateef DS, Ali AJ, Abdulateef DS, Mohesh MI. Smoking Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Among Health Care Professionals from Sulaymaniyah City/Iraq. Tob Use Insights. 2016;9:1-6. https://doi.org/10.4137/TUI.S38171
https://doi.org/10.4137/TUI.S38171...
Formal education obtained during the years of medical training is, therefore, essential for the transformation and development of the student into a medical role model, insofar as the vision of his/her role in society expands.1717 Vågan A. Medical students' perceptions of identity in communication skills training: a qualitative study. Med Educ. 2009;43(3):254-259. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2008.03278.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2008...
Another important point is that the concept that students have of themselves evolves as they come into contact with patients and accumulate more knowledge, feel more confident, and have a greater professional identity.1818 Bandura A. Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychol Rev. 1977;84(2):191-215. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191
https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.1...
,1919 Pitkala KH, Mantyranta T. Professional socialization revised: medical students' own conceptions related to adoption of the future physician's role--a qualitative study. Med Teach. 2003;25(2):155-160. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159031000092544
https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159031000092...

Article 14 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control2020 WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control [homepage on the Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2003. [cited 2019 Nov 10]. Available from: http://www.who.int/fctc/text_download/en/ strengthens the importance of reducing the number of current tobacco users through teaching about the treatment of tobacco dependence. One of WHO’s global monitoring frameworks for the noncommunicable disease action plan is to reduce tobacco use. To achieve that goal, medical schools will therefore have to do their part in teaching about tobacco control in order to help smokers to quit.2020 WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control [homepage on the Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2003. [cited 2019 Nov 10]. Available from: http://www.who.int/fctc/text_download/en/,2121 World Health Organization (WHO) [homepage on the Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; c2020 [cited 2020 Mar 24]. Target 5: Reduce tobacco use [about 2 screens]. Available from: http://www.who.int/nmh/ncd-tools/target5/en/
http://www.who.int/nmh/ncd-tools/target5...

At present, smoking cessation treatment involves both behavioral/cognitive counseling (brief or intensive, individual or in group) and pharmacotherapy, and its costs are fully covered to all smokers by the Brazilian Unified Health Care System in primary care facilities or hospitals. In 2019, after a long and arduous process, the National Health Insurance Agency of the Brazilian National Ministry of Health finally approved the inclusion of smoking cessation treatment in private health insurance coverage, benefiting 47 million privately insured people (22% of the total population in Brazil).2222 Associação Médica Brasileira (AMB) [homepage on the Internet]. São Paulo: AMB; c2018 [cited 2020 Mar 24]. Resolução Normativa CNHM no 036/2018. [Adobe Acrobat document, 17p.]. Available from: https://amb.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/RN-CNHM-036_2018-v4.pdf
https://amb.org.br/wp-content/uploads/20...

23 World Health Organization (WHO) [homepage on the Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; c2019 [cited 2020 Mar 24]. Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic - Offer help to quit tobacco use. [Adobe Acrobat document, 8p.]. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/325968/WHO-NMH-PND-2019.5-por.pdf?ua=1
https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/hand...
-2424 Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar (ANS) [homepage on the Internet]. Rio de Janeiro: ANS; c2020 [cited 2020 Mar 24]. Dados Gerais. Beneficiários de planos privados de saúde, por cobertura assistencial (Brasil - 2010-2020). Available from: https://www.ans.gov.br/perfil-do-setor/dados-gerais
https://www.ans.gov.br/perfil-do-setor/d...

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that evaluated the association between the GHPSS and medical students’ self-recognition of their importance as future physicians who will offer their patients help to quit tobacco use and will serve as role models for their patients/society. The reasons for their self-recognition as role models can be a result of a transition process during their medical training, determined not only by formal education methodology but also by socioenvironmental components, such as the smoke-free environment law that came into force in the state of São Paulo in 2009 (MPOWER Protect policy).1212 Governo do Estado de São Paulo. Assembleia Legislativa do Estado de São Paulo [homepage on the Internet]. Lei no 13.541, de 7 de maio de 2009. Proíbe o consumo de cigarros, cigarrilhas, charutos, cachimbos ou de qualquer outro produto fumígeno, derivado ou não do tabaco, na forma que especifica. [about 2 screens]. 13541/09. Available from: https://www.al.sp.gov.br/repositorio/legislacao/lei/2009/lei-13541-07.05.2009.html
https://www.al.sp.gov.br/repositorio/leg...
In fact, the 2019 Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic33 World Health Organization [homepage on the Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; c2019 [cited 2019 Oct 17]. Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2019 - Offer help to quit tobacco use. Available from: https://www.who.int/tobacco/global_report/en/
https://www.who.int/tobacco/global_repor...
emphasizes that when the help to quit smoking comes together with other tobacco control strategies, there is a greater impact.

Our analysis showed that the perception of enforcement of the smoking ban inside the campus (MPOWER Protect policy) also influenced student self-recognition as a model of behavior for patients and the population, regardless of the school year. It is worth mentioning that, in 2009, ninety days prior to the enactment of the Anti-smoking Law1212 Governo do Estado de São Paulo. Assembleia Legislativa do Estado de São Paulo [homepage on the Internet]. Lei no 13.541, de 7 de maio de 2009. Proíbe o consumo de cigarros, cigarrilhas, charutos, cachimbos ou de qualquer outro produto fumígeno, derivado ou não do tabaco, na forma que especifica. [about 2 screens]. 13541/09. Available from: https://www.al.sp.gov.br/repositorio/legislacao/lei/2009/lei-13541-07.05.2009.html
https://www.al.sp.gov.br/repositorio/leg...
that created smoke-free environments and banned the use of any smoking product, derived or not from tobacco, in all public and private enclosed places, the most varied types of communication outlets massively disseminated information about the contents of the law and the necessary changes that should take place.

According to Bandura,2525 Bandura A. Social cognitive theory. In: Lawler EJ, editor. Six Theories of Child Development: Revised Formulations and Current Issues. Volume 6 of Annals of Child Development. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press; 1989. p. 1-60. the observational paradigm of the process of awareness of becoming a role model is composed of attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation, which in turn is influenced by the behavior, the individual, and the environment. The vast majority of the citizens in the state of São Paulo comply with the smoke-free environment law,1212 Governo do Estado de São Paulo. Assembleia Legislativa do Estado de São Paulo [homepage on the Internet]. Lei no 13.541, de 7 de maio de 2009. Proíbe o consumo de cigarros, cigarrilhas, charutos, cachimbos ou de qualquer outro produto fumígeno, derivado ou não do tabaco, na forma que especifica. [about 2 screens]. 13541/09. Available from: https://www.al.sp.gov.br/repositorio/legislacao/lei/2009/lei-13541-07.05.2009.html
https://www.al.sp.gov.br/repositorio/leg...
which suggests that they understood the benefit of the law for public health. The assessment of students that was conducted between June/July of each year probably revealed the positive impact of a well-conducted public health campaign in the perception of the third- and sixth-year medical students as of 2010. This change in beliefs and behaviors is corroborated by studies conducted in the last decade that demonstrated that disclosure and dissemination of health care knowledge lead to changes in the attitudes of medical professionals and the population in general.2626 Clandinin DJ, Cave MT. Creating pedagogical spaces for developing doctor professional identity. Med Educ. 2008;42(8):765-770. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2008.03098.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2008...

27 Hafferty F. Professionalism and the socialization of medical students. In: Cruess RL, Cruess SR, Steinert Y, editors. Teaching Medical Professionalism. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press; 2008. p. 53-70. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511547348.005
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511547348...

28 Hilton S. Education and the changing face of medical professionalism: from priest to mountain guide?. Br J Gen Pract. 2008;58(550):353-361. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp08X280128
https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp08X280128...
-2929 Mechanic D. Rethinking medical professionalism: the role of information technology and practice innovations. Milbank Q. 2008;86(2):327-358. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0009.2008.00523.x
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The social environmental components, such as the implementation of smoke-free environments in hospital and medical education settings, are important for the development of the student’s own image as a future health professional who will serve as a role model for patients and society.3030 Dornan T, Boshuizen H, King N, Scherpbier A. Experience-based learning: a model linking the processes and outcomes of medical students' workplace learning. Med Educ. 2007;41(1):84-91. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2929.2006.02652.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2929.2006...
A change in the educational environment, such as the enforcement of the smoke-free environment law,1212 Governo do Estado de São Paulo. Assembleia Legislativa do Estado de São Paulo [homepage on the Internet]. Lei no 13.541, de 7 de maio de 2009. Proíbe o consumo de cigarros, cigarrilhas, charutos, cachimbos ou de qualquer outro produto fumígeno, derivado ou não do tabaco, na forma que especifica. [about 2 screens]. 13541/09. Available from: https://www.al.sp.gov.br/repositorio/legislacao/lei/2009/lei-13541-07.05.2009.html
https://www.al.sp.gov.br/repositorio/leg...
should be adopted on a broader scale in the education of medical students as part of the contribution to the construction of a “role model”.3131 Steinert Y, Cruess RL, Cruess SR, Boudreau JD, Fuks A. Faculty development as an instrument of change: a case study on teaching professionalism. Acad Med. 2007;82(11):1057-1064. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ACM.0000285346.87708.67
https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ACM.000028534...
By means of a cultural change, medical students acquire skills and competences to cope with the new norms and values of his/her community.88 Mann KV. Theoretical perspectives in medical education: past experience and future possibilities. Med Educ. 2011;45(1):60-68. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2010.03757.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2010...
This concept is known as “community practices”3232 Lave J, Wenger E. Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge UK: Cambridge University Press; 1991. and contributes, together with the years spent in medical school, to the development of the professional identity of the physician.88 Mann KV. Theoretical perspectives in medical education: past experience and future possibilities. Med Educ. 2011;45(1):60-68. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2010.03757.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2010...

Although we did not find a statistically significant association between smoking status and self-recognition as a role model, a physician who smokes may be less likely to motivate and advise smokers to quit.1010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [homepage on the Internet]. Atlanta (GA): CDC; c2020 [cited 2020 Mar 24]. Global Tobacco Surveillance System Data (GTSSData). Available from: https://nccd.cdc.gov/GTSSDataSurveyResources/Ancillary/DataReports.aspx?CAID=2
https://nccd.cdc.gov/GTSSDataSurveyResou...
,1111 Almeida LM, Szklo AS, Souza MC, Sampaio MMA, Mendonça AL, Martins LFL, editors. Global adult tobacco survey: Brazil report. Rio de Janeiro: INCA; 2010. 208 p. Our results also cause concern because, although the cigarette smoking rate was low, we found a high proportion of water pipe experimentation (MPOWER Monitor policy), despite the knowledge that smoke is not filtered through the water pipe water, which could negatively impact on the MPOWER Offer policy (help to quit tobacco use).33 World Health Organization [homepage on the Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; c2019 [cited 2019 Oct 17]. Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2019 - Offer help to quit tobacco use. Available from: https://www.who.int/tobacco/global_report/en/
https://www.who.int/tobacco/global_repor...
Other national and international studies have also found high rates of water pipe experimentation/use among medical students, which poses an additional challenge to increasing the effectiveness of smoking cessation treatment in Brazil and other countries.3333 Miri-Moghaddam M, Shahrakipour M, Nasseri S, Miri-Moghaddam E. Higher prevalence of water pipe compared to cigarette smoking among medical students in Southeast Iran. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2019;27(3):188-194. https://doi.org/10.21101/cejph.a5615
https://doi.org/10.21101/cejph.a5615...
,3434 Araújo RS, Milhomem YO, Pereira HFS, Silva Junior JLRD. Factors related to the use of hookah among medical students. J Bras Pneumol. 2019;45(5):e20180184. https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-3713/e20180184
https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-3713/e20180...

Our study has some limitations. It was unable to assess the independent effects of policies other than the smoke-free policy implemented during the study period (e.g., in 2011, a new policy for pricing and taxing tobacco products was implemented in Brazil). Another limitation of the present study was that a reduced number of sixth-year medical students attend formal classes, mostly because they work full time in the hospital and have limited activities in the classroom, which hindered contact between students and researchers and reduced student participation in the study. Although approximately 60% of the third-year medical students were lost to follow-up, our analysis including students who were not successfully followed up produced results that were consistent with those students who were, which suggests that our conclusions might be somewhat generalizable.

In conclusion, knowledge of smoking cessation strategies and self-recognition as role models for patients/society increase over the course of medical school and are associated with the successful implementation of smoke-free policies in enclosed places and on the university campus. This will be important to improve smoking cessation treatment in the future.

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    » https://doi.org/10.21101/cejph.a5615
  • 34
    Araújo RS, Milhomem YO, Pereira HFS, Silva Junior JLRD. Factors related to the use of hookah among medical students. J Bras Pneumol. 2019;45(5):e20180184. https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-3713/e20180184
    » https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-3713/e20180184
  • Financial support:

    None.
  • 2
    Study carried out at the Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo (SP) Brasil.

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    08 Jan 2021
  • Date of issue
    2021

History

  • Received
    09 Dec 2019
  • Accepted
    26 Sept 2020
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