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Emerald research investigates cigarette smoking in China

Free access to Health Education Special Issue until 31 August

Bingley, UK, July 2012 – Cigarette smoking amongst the Chinese population is higher than in many other parts of the world, with 48 per cent of the male population addicted to the habit.  With such a strong cigarette smoking culture in China, what influences a Chinese person to smoke and keep smoking and how can this trend be altered?

In a recently published special issue of Health Education (volume 112, No 4), the first by a western academic journal on cigarette smoking in China, guest editor Han Zao Li of the University of British Columbia, Canada, has brought together five research papers to give an insight into the current smoking trends in China, and asks what can be done to improve anti-smoking educational campaigns in the future. This special issue of Health Education is available in free access until 31 August, by visiting http://www.emeraldinsight.com/he.htm with username: EDUQ22012 and password: emerald

Three of the five papers study the smoking habits of health professionals, including doctors, nurses and medical students. As the authors stress, the influence of health professionals on patients about cigarette smoking cannot be over emphasized. Of the 677 physicians surveyed, 31.6 percent of the men and 0.9 percent of the women were current smokers; 79.2 percent of the cigarette users reported smoking on duty, with 15 percent of the cigarette users smoking in front of patients.  With these figures in mind, one of the five papers addresses patient feedback on the implementation of a nationwide smoking-free campaign in hospitals.

In a second survey, researchers studied a large sample of university students who smoked, of which over half had received cigarettes as a gift. Over 60 per cent perceived smoking to be a social status symbol.  Surprisingly, 11 per cent thought smoking would not harm the human body.

Professor Han Zao Li comments: “This exclusive coverage in a western journal on cigarette smoking in China can draw the attention of Chinese and western scholars in the field, as well as the attention of the Chinese Ministry of Health, to this major national problem. This attention should help to advance anti-smoking educational campaigns in China. It would be interesting to conduct follow-up research on the effectiveness of the nationwide campaign banning cigarette smoking in the 28 public indoor spaces, which the Chinese government ambitiously embarked in May, 2011.”

Published by Emerald Group Publishing, Health Education reflects current best practice, using an empowering, multi-dimensional, multi-professional approach which relates to all settings, organizations, and parts and levels of society, including schools, colleges, universities, the health services, the community and the workplace.  For more information about the journal, visit http://www.emeraldinsight.com/he.htm

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