Knowledge Attitudes and Practices of Shisha Smoking Among Medical Practitioners in Karachi, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: It is well established that tobacco use in the form of shisha has adverse effects similar to cigarette smoking. Medical-practitioners can play an important role in spreading awareness regarding health hazards associated with shisha smoking. Misconception about shisha is an important factor responsible for its increasing use, the need to evaluate medical practitioner's knowledge about shisha is an important step in controlling the growing epidemic.Objectives: To investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices of shisha smoking among different designations of medical practitioners in Karachi.Methodology: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to interns, postgraduate-trainees, medical-officers and consultants in various teaching hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan.Results: A total of 343 medical practitioners participated in the study including 38.2% interns, 43.1% postgraduate trainees, 12% medical-officers and 6.7% consultants. Of the total study population 29.5% of the medical practitioners admitted using shisha at some point in their life. Significant results were obtained when knowledge of medical practioners regarding shisha containing tobacco and its harmful effects on health were judged with p-values of 0.001 and <0.003 respectively. Knowledge regarding hazards of passive shisha exposure was found to be varying with 25.2% interns, 40.5% postgraduates, 34.1% medical-officers and 69.6% consultants being aware of association of neonatal deaths with passive shisha exposure (p-value <0.001) while 51.9% house physicians, 64.2% postgraduates, 53.7% medical officers and 87% consultants believed that shisha exposure during pregnancy can lead to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (p value 0.001).Conclusions: There is a lack of knowledge among medical practitioners, especially house physicians, regarding contents used in shisha and its hazards.