The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: Using large, representative samples of Ontario university students and campus healthcare providers, we examined students' smoking, smoking cessation and use of campus health services, as well as campus clinicians' self-reported use of ‘ask-advise-assist-arrange' Clinical Tobacco Intervention (CTI) protocols and students' perceptions of clinician-provided cessation interventions.

Methods: In November 2004, confidential questionnaires were distributed to 593 health professionals from 16 universities. In November 2005, 100,000 students from 10 universities received email invitations to complete an anonymous on-line questionnaire. In both surveys, institutions were representative of Ontario's 20 4-year-degree universities in terms of size, location, programs and student demographics.

Results: Response rates exceeded 60% for professionals and 10% for students. 28% of the students currently smoked; half wanted to quit. One-quarter of the students had visited a campus clinic in the current semester, and 40% of them reported being asked about their smoking. Among those asked about smoking, 10% reported being advised to quit, but few indicated having follow-up arranged. Healthcare providers reported asking 50% of their patients about smoking, and 75% said they advised patients identified as smokers to quit. Many (40%) said they arranged for follow-up. Previous training increased healthcare providers' use of CTI protocols.

Conclusion: Campus health professionals reported offering smoking cessation support to most smokers. Smaller proportions of student smokers reported receiving such support. Overall, the findings suggest more consistent implementation of CTI protocols is needed. This study informs CTI training protocols for campus settings leading to improved standards of care for student smokers.