The prevalent of tobacco use Among health workers in Juba Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Smoking continues to be a public health threat despite the progress that has been made. Health
care staff should lead the fight in term of educating public about health hazard of tobacco and
advising people to quit smoking. The objective of this study is to understand the epidemiology of
smoking among Juba Teaching Hospital health workers in Juba city South Sudan
Methodology: A cross-sectional study using semi- structured questionnaires administered to a
selected sample of respondents at Juba Teaching Hospital (JTH). Participants were asked about
demographics, activities, reason for smoking and attitude toward smoking.
Results: From the 171 respondents (with response rate of 85.5%) smoking prevalence was
23.39%. The majority of respondents were male 60% while the remaining percentages were
female (40%). The prevalence was highest in males compared to females. Age specific
percentage of smoking was highest in the age group 26–35 years. Motive for smoking include:
Concentration, Peer pressure, relaxation and stress release were the major factors mentioned by
participants.