A questionnaire survey on the smoking behavior before and after smoking ban in hospital property

Abstract

Object: Smoking behavior was compared before and after smoking ban in our psychiatric hospital property.

Method: We sent out a questionnaire to all stuff, all adult in-patient and sampled out-patients of our hospital.

Results: Smoking rates were 54.4% among in-patients, 39.5% among out-patients and 18.6% among stuff. Smoking rate increased with hospitalization period significantly in in-patients. Fifty two percent among in-patients, 72% among out-patients and 73% among stuff showed one’s intention to approve the smoking ban. About half in the smokers of the three groups answered that they wanted to quit smoking. Yeas and nays significantly depended on one’s smoking habit in stuff.

Discussion: The reasons of the stuff against the smoking ban include ① medical awareness of mental condition, ② awareness of increasing efforts and ③ awareness of increase in involuntary hospitalization. However, the reason of the in-patients against the smoking ban was nicotine dependency itself.

Conclusion: Success in smoking ban within the psychiatric hospital property depends largely on the smoking behavior of the stuff and hospitalization environment.