Knowledge about health effects of cigarette smoking and quitting among Italian University students: the importance of teaching nicotine dependence and treatment in the medical curriculum

Physicians have an important role to play in prevention and cessation of tobacco use. The aims of this study were to compare Medical Students (MS) to non-MS with respect to their knowledge on smoking and to investigate the effect of a short educational intervention on MS knowledge. MS (n=962) and students of architecture and law (n=229) were asked to complete a 60-item questionnaire addressing knowledge of epidemiology and health-effects of smoking (“Score 1”) as well as the effectiveness of cessation treatments (“Score 2”). Upon completion of the questionnaire, fourth-year MS received a lecture on tobacco dependence. These students were asked to complete the same questionnaire one and two years later. Mean values for score 1 were 48.911.5% in MS and 40.511.4% in non-MS (p<.001; effect size d=0.69). Respective values for score 2 were 48.110.8% and 42.610.6% (p<.001; d=0.50). Fifth-year students who had attended the lecture in year 4 scored higher than students who had not attended the lecture (Score 1: 55.012.7% vs. 50.511.6%, p=.01; d = 0.37; Score 2: 55.413.7% vs. 49.711.0%, p=.001; d=0.46). Significant differences were only noted one year but not two years after the educational intervention. Italian undergraduate MS know only little more about smoking-related disease and methods to achieve cessation than students of non-medical professions. Attending a lecture was associated with slightly better knowledge one year later, but the effect was moderate and short-lived. Keywords: