EPV118 - Smoking prevalence and nicotine dependence among teachers
EPV118
Smoking prevalence and nicotine dependence among teachers
I. Sellami 1,*, A. Abbes 1, A. Feki 2, D. Elleuch 3, M. L. Masmoudi 1, M. Hajjaji 1, K. Jmal Hammami 1
1occupational medicine, 2Rheumatoloy, Hedi Chaker Hospital, 3Family department, Medecine university, sfax, Tunisia
Introduction: As role models for young people and key players in prevention in schools, teachers occupy a strategic position in the fight against smoking. Therefore, the prevalence of smoking among primary and secondary school teachers deserves special attention.
Objectives: Our study aimed to explore the smoking behaviour among teachers.
Methods: We conducted a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study among teachers working in public schools in the Sfax region in Tunisia, during October, November and December 2016. We used a questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics, professional data and smoking behaviour. We assessed the level of nicotine dependence using the Fagerström test.
Results: We included 485 teachers working in public schools in the Sfax region of Tunisia. The mean job tenure was 18.83 ± 10.92 years. The prevalence of smoking was highest among teachers aged 20–29 years (21.4%), followed by those aged 40–49 years (19.2%). The mean nicotine dependence score was 5.48 ± 2.67. Among all current smokers, 56% had nicotine dependence classified as severe to very severe. Statistical analysis did not reveal a significant association between smoking status and age (p = 0.794) or job tenure (p = 0.102).
Conclusions: Smoking prevalence among teachers in Sfax was moderate, yet more than half of current smokers exhibited severe nicotine dependence, highlighting a critical health concern.
Disclosure of Interest: None Declared