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Tobacco and alcohol use in Tunisian young doctors: a way to evade occupational stressors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2023

M. A. Ghrab*
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine, University Hospital Hedi Chaker, Sfax, Tunisia
I. Sellami
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine, University Hospital Hedi Chaker, Sfax, Tunisia University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
A. Abbes
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine, University Hospital Hedi Chaker, Sfax, Tunisia
M. Hajjaji
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine, University Hospital Hedi Chaker, Sfax, Tunisia University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
K. Jmal Hammami
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine, University Hospital Hedi Chaker, Sfax, Tunisia University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
M. L. Masmoudi
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine, University Hospital Hedi Chaker, Sfax, Tunisia University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

The medical field is very stressful. To reduce stress, healthcare workers may resort to different habits, including smoking and drinking.

Objectives

We aimed to assess the smoking and drinking habits of interns and fellows in Tunisian hospitals.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2022 through online platforms. A pre-established questionnaire was sent to Tunisian medical interns and fellows, working in public hospitals, and collected sociodemographic and occupational data. The Fagerstörm test was used to evaluate nicotine dependence.

Results

Our population consisted of 182 Tunisian interns and fellows. Their mean age was 26.38±2.03 years. Females represented 71.4% of the total population. One hundred of them (54.95%) were fellows, out of which 18% specialized in surgery. Sixty-one per cent of these young doctors were single. Twenty-two individuals were smokers with male predominance (59.1%). Smoking was associated with age (p<0.001) and female sex (p=0.001). Fagerstörm test score’s mean was 4.09±2.52. High to very high nicotine dependency was found in 31.8% of cases. Thirty-five interns and fellows consumed alcohol and 51.4% of them were females. Alcohol use was associated with sex (p<0.001).

Conclusions

Despite knowing their hazard, young doctors still resort to drinking and smoking as a coping mechanism. The promotion of healthier coping mechanisms is essential.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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