Introduction: The aim of the study was to establish whether family physicians are influenced by their own smoking habits when issuing prevention messages to patients who smoke.
Methods: 257 Family physicians of the Vienne Department answered a survey (participation rate: 70%) investigating their own smoking habits and how they approach patients who smoke.
Results: The prevalence of smoking among respondents was 26%; 30% were ex-smokers and 44% had never smoked. Regular smokers (16%) generally smoked 15 cigarettes a day and 49% were nicotine dependent--15% highly so. When consulting, 44% of doctors stated that they systematically addressed smoking habits and 41% declared that they gave minimal smoking cessation advice. Doctors who smoke were less prone to ask their patients whether they smoke (p = 0.036) and whether they had considered quitting (p = 0.045). Unlike those who didn't smoke or had quit smoking, doctors who smoke often believed that their smoking habits had no impact on their relationship with the patients or that it might even make communication with the patient easier (p < 0.0001).
Conclusions: Family physicians' smoking habits have an impact on their interaction with patients who smoke. This must be taken into account in training sessions for smoking cessation.