Preparedness of frontline health workers for tobacco cessation: An exploratory study from two states of India

Nurses' perspectives regarding integrated nursing interventions for psychoactive substance use cessation: A mixed methods study from South India

PURPOSE

To obtain nurses' perspectives regarding integrated interventions for substance use cessation for patients in general hospital settings.

DESIGN AND METHODS

(a) Quantitative survey (N = 207) (nurses' knowledge, attitude, practice, confidence regarding integrated interventions; (b) Focus groups exploring nurses' perspectives regarding integrated interventions (N = 32).

FINDINGS

Participants' scores (mean, SD): Knowledge-112.5 (10.4) (maximum score-198); Attitude-30.99 (7.05) (maximum-52); Practice-1.66 (2.63) (maximum-28); Confidence-11.90 (3.82) (maximum-24). From the focus groups, four themes were identified: Substance use patterns among patients seeking treatment at the hospitals where the nurses are employed; Nurses' role in providing integrated interventions; Nurses' training needs for providing integrated interventions; Feasibility of providing integrated interventions.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Findings provide clear justification for module development to train nurses in providing integrated interventions.

Pattern of Tobacco Use and Perceived Risk of COVID-19 Following Tobacco Use among the COVID-19 Patients of a Tertiary Health Care Institution in Eastern India

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 presented an unprecedented situation in which behavioural factors including tobacco use were believed to increase the risk of morbidity and mortality. The objective of the present study was to find the tobacco use pattern among the COVID-19 patients and the perceived risk of developing severe COVID-19 following tobacco use.

METHODS

This hospital-based, cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted among 300 COVID-19 patients at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, India, during November and December 2020 using a semi-structured, pretested questionnaire. Descriptive and univariate analyses were performed using statistical software and the results were presented as proportion and percentage.

FINDINGS

About 27% and 16% of the COVID-19 patients were ever and current tobacco users, respectively. Quit attempts were found to have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. A majority (65%) of current tobacco users had reduced their amount of tobacco use. Nearly 2 in every 3 patients perceived high risk of developing severe COVID-19 following tobacco use. Perceived risk was significantly higher among tobacco non-users, patients who were aware of the ill health effects of tobacco use, and patients who had noticed anti-tobacco messages or had been advised to quit tobacco. Among the current tobacco users, a significantly higher proportion of patients who perceived high risk of developing severe COVID-19 following tobacco use had made quit attempts or had reduced tobacco consumption during the pandemic (76.7% vs. 40%; P = 0.032).

CONCLUSION

A high proportion of COVID-19 patients believed that tobacco use aggravated the COVID-19 condition. Increased quit attempts and reduction in tobacco consumption during this pandemic is a positive sign for tobacco control.