PURPOSE: To evaluate the prevalence of tobacco smoking among health workers, professores, nurses and students of Federal University of São Paulo and the acceptance of an institutional program for quitting smoking. METHODS: We analized the answers of a questionnairy with 51 questions, distributed to people from different categories. RESULTS: The total percentage of answered questionnaires was 48.6% (2613). The answers obtained from health workers were 37.3%, professors 49.0%, nurses 52.7% and students 76.5% The total percentage of smokers at UNIFESP was 15.5%: 23.7% for health workers, 18% for professors, 16% for nurses and 8.6% for students. There was no significant statistical difference between the prevalence of smoking among females (17.3%) and males (16.3%). The age of major prevalence of smoking was between 31 to 40 years (26.6%). For all ages, people who have university level smoked less, independent of sex. Eighty three percent (83%) of the UNIFESP workers and students are worried of being passive smokers. Between the smokers, 55% were thinking of quiting and 42% declared that need some help to quit. CONCLUSION: We concluded that educational programs and help for cessation at institutional level are necessary and well accepted at UNIFESP, and the completion of these programs will contribute to the obeying of the prohibitive laws of no smoking within the community.
Tobacco smoking; Prevalence; Health workers; Professors, students and nurses
