THE SMOKING BEHAVIOR OF HEALTH WORKERS IN ASIA: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

THE SMOKING BEHAVIOR OF HEALTH WORKERS IN ASIA: A LITERATURE REVIEW Arif Rahman1 *, Titih Huriah2 1. Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Yahya Bima, West Nusa Tenggara 84171, Indonesia 2. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta 55183, Indonesia *E-mail: arif1012rahaman@gmail.com Abstract Health workers are role models in preventing smoking behavior, yet many are smokers themselves. This study reviews and analyzes the smoking behavior of health workers in Asian countries, based on databases such as PubMed, EBSCO, and Google Scholar in 2013–2018. It is shown that the prevalence of smoking amongst health workers was 4.6–44%, with the nursing profession showing a higher level than other health professions and with a higher ratio of male to female smokers. Health workers are aware of the dangers of smoking, including the effects of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, oral cancer, atherosclerosis, hypertension, fetal disorders, and infertility. However, the factors that lead to smoking include stress, the influence of friends or family who smoke, and addiction. Health workers are responsible for providing smoking prevention education. However, there are still obstacles to its implementation due to their smoking habits and lack of expertise in educating others. Smoking prohibition policies in the workplace, the training of health workers, and smoking prevention service facilities need to be considered by Asian countries to prevent smoking. Keywords: health worker, role model, smoking behavior