Abstract
Background.Tobacco use in the form of shisha has adverse effects similar to cigarette smoking.
Objectives: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of doctors about shisha(water Pipe) use and its hazards as doctors serve as role model of a society and can play a very important role in educating public.
Methodology: A self administered questionnaire was distributed to house physicians, postgraduate, medical officers and consultants in different teaching hospitals of Karachi.
Results: 343 doctors from different teaching hospitals of Karachi filled the questionnaire of which 170 were females. Approximately 29.5% doctors have used shisha some time in their life. Of total survey population 56.5% house officer, 73.9% postgraduates, 65.9% medical officers and 91.3% of consultants agreed that shisha contains tobacco (p value 0.001) and 58% house officers, 77% postgraduates 68.3% medical officers and 91.3% consultants believed that it is harmful to health(p value <0.001). Knowledge about hazards of passive shisha use was found to be very poor. Only 25.2% house officers, 40.5% post graduates, 34.1% medical officers and 69.6% consultants were confident that neonatal deaths are associated with passive shisha exposure (p value <0.001) while 51.9% house officers, 64.2% postgraduates, 53.7% medical officers and 87% of consultants believed that shisha exposure during pregnancy can lead to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (p value 0.001).
Conclusions: Our study indicates that there is lack of knowledge among doctors specially house officers regarding contents used in shisha and its hazardous effects on health. Steps should be taken to eduacate doctors especially juniors about different methods of tobacco use and its hazards.
- © 2012 ERS