| INTRODUCTION: Given the health effects associated with chronic tobacco use, doctors of chiropractic (DCs) have a unique opportunity to assist patients with smoking cessation. The purpose of this study was to assess DCs’ current levels of knowledge, attitudes and behaviors regarding provision of tobacco cessation interventions. METHODS: A survey of tobacco control practices and attitudes was sent to 1,057 DCs in Oregon. RESULTS: More than 74% (n=786) of DCs responded. The vast majority indicated that they assessed for tobacco use (76%) and advised patients to quit (95%). Few, however, provided counseling or support (‹25%), citing lack of training and patient materials. More than 84% of respondents indicated a desire to learn effective techniques to help their patients quit smoking. DISCUSSION: DCs are likely to engage in minimal tobacco cessation activities, and express a willingness to learn more. CONCLUSIONS: Provision of training and patient materials could promote cessation activities, thus improving the health of thousands of chiropractic patients. This abstract is reproduced with permission of the publisher. Full text is available by subscription; click on the above link.
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