Smoking Among Employees at University of Pittsburgh/UPMC

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of smoking among workers at a major academic medical center including hospitals and other medical and health care facilities. It also was designed to investigate the prevalence of smoking among employees while at the workplace and the amount of time spent doing so. Finally, this study investigates the possible connection between the level of addiction to nicotine and the amount of time spent smoking while at work. The findings in this study may help employers target employees who smoke and assist them in efforts to quit. This study has public health significance because it may improve the health of the employees and those around them, as well as decrease costs and increase productivity. An internet-based survey questionnaire addressing the issues of smoking, demographics, the prevalence of smoking at the workplace, second-hand smoke, and level of dependence to nicotine was distributed via e-mail to employees of a major academic medical center and its affiliated university. The results of this study revealed that 12% of those that responded to the survey are current smokers and half of these individuals smoke at work. Those individuals who have been smoking for a longer period of time seem to be more likely to smoke at work and take more breaks to smoke. Those individuals who have a higher level of dependency to nicotine, according to their score on the Fagerstrom score of nicotine dependency, appear to be more likely to smoke at work, take more breaks to smoke, and have more difficulty refraining from smoking at work for one day than those with lower levels of dependency