Association of sociodemographic and occupational stress factors with smoking behavior among healthcare professionals: The mediating role of physical exercise
Introduction Smoking remains a major preventable cause of mortality, posing a significant public health challenge globally. Healthcare professionals (HCPs), despite their pivotal role in promoting health, exhibit notable smoking behaviors influenced by occupational stress and sociodemographic factor...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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European Publishing
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Tobacco Induced Diseases |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tobaccoinduceddiseases.org/Association-of-sociodemographic-and-occupational-stress-factors-with-smoking-behavior,204007,0,2.html |
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| author | Farooq A. Chaudhary Asma Shakoor Muhammad A. Fareed Osama Khattak Mohammed S. Alqarni Rakhi Issrani Thani Alsharari |
| author_facet | Farooq A. Chaudhary Asma Shakoor Muhammad A. Fareed Osama Khattak Mohammed S. Alqarni Rakhi Issrani Thani Alsharari |
| author_sort | Farooq A. Chaudhary |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction
Smoking remains a major preventable cause of mortality, posing a
significant public health challenge globally. Healthcare professionals (HCPs),
despite their pivotal role in promoting health, exhibit notable smoking behaviors
influenced by occupational stress and sociodemographic factors. This study
investigates these relationships and examines the mediating role of physical
exercise in smoking behaviors among HCPs in Pakistan.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 302 HCPs (medical
doctors and dentists) recruited using a snowball sampling technique in Pakistan
from March to July 2024. Data were collected using a self-administered online
questionnaire assessing sociodemographic and occupational factors, smoking status
and frequency, physical exercise, sleep quality, job satisfaction, and perceived
stress. Smoking behavior was analyzed as current, past, or never smokers.
Mediation analysis evaluated the role of physical exercise in the association
between occupational stress and smoking behavior.
Results
Nearly half (49.3%) of participants were current smokers, with 36.7%
smoking 6–20 cigarettes daily and 60.2% of the participants experiencing moderate
to high levels of perceived stress. Higher smoking prevalence was associated
with gender, frequent night shifts, longer working hours, low job satisfaction,
frequent insomnia, and high perceived stress (p<0.05). Regular physical exercise
(52.0%) emerged as a significant protective factor against smoking, with those
exercising three or more times per week being significantly less likely to smoke
(OR=0.05; 95% CI: 0.03–0.09, p<0.001). Mediation analysis showed that physical
exercise partially mediated the relationship between perceived stress and smoking
(indirect effect = -3.67, p<0.001), with a reduced direct effect of perceived stress
on smoking after controlling for exercise (B= -1.56, SE=0.22, p<0.001).
Conclusions
Occupational stress, coupled with sociodemographic and work-related
factors, drives smoking behaviors among Pakistani HCPs. Physical exercise serves
as a protective factor, mediating the relationship between perceived stress and
smoking. Workplace interventions promoting stress management, physical activity,
and job satisfaction are recommended to reduce smoking rates and foster healthier
behaviors among HCPs, improving public health outcomes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-90aacf1dbd164a5fae3a7e3d5ead48d1 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1617-9625 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | European Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tobacco Induced Diseases |
| spelling | doaj-art-90aacf1dbd164a5fae3a7e3d5ead48d12025-08-20T03:15:31ZengEuropean PublishingTobacco Induced Diseases1617-96252025-05-0123May1910.18332/tid/204007204007Association of sociodemographic and occupational stress factors with smoking behavior among healthcare professionals: The mediating role of physical exerciseFarooq A. Chaudhary0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1748-0413Asma Shakoor1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2775-3892Muhammad A. Fareed2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8440-0092Osama Khattak3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3502-3555Mohammed S. Alqarni4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6368-0774Rakhi Issrani5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0046-3529Thani Alsharari6https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2703-6399School of Dentistry, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad, PakistanDepartment of Community and Preventive Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, Combined Military Hospital, Lahore Medical College, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi, PakistanClinical Sciences Department, College of Dentistry, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Restorative Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Preventive Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Restorative Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Taif University, Taif, Saudi ArabiaIntroduction Smoking remains a major preventable cause of mortality, posing a significant public health challenge globally. Healthcare professionals (HCPs), despite their pivotal role in promoting health, exhibit notable smoking behaviors influenced by occupational stress and sociodemographic factors. This study investigates these relationships and examines the mediating role of physical exercise in smoking behaviors among HCPs in Pakistan. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 302 HCPs (medical doctors and dentists) recruited using a snowball sampling technique in Pakistan from March to July 2024. Data were collected using a self-administered online questionnaire assessing sociodemographic and occupational factors, smoking status and frequency, physical exercise, sleep quality, job satisfaction, and perceived stress. Smoking behavior was analyzed as current, past, or never smokers. Mediation analysis evaluated the role of physical exercise in the association between occupational stress and smoking behavior. Results Nearly half (49.3%) of participants were current smokers, with 36.7% smoking 6–20 cigarettes daily and 60.2% of the participants experiencing moderate to high levels of perceived stress. Higher smoking prevalence was associated with gender, frequent night shifts, longer working hours, low job satisfaction, frequent insomnia, and high perceived stress (p<0.05). Regular physical exercise (52.0%) emerged as a significant protective factor against smoking, with those exercising three or more times per week being significantly less likely to smoke (OR=0.05; 95% CI: 0.03–0.09, p<0.001). Mediation analysis showed that physical exercise partially mediated the relationship between perceived stress and smoking (indirect effect = -3.67, p<0.001), with a reduced direct effect of perceived stress on smoking after controlling for exercise (B= -1.56, SE=0.22, p<0.001). Conclusions Occupational stress, coupled with sociodemographic and work-related factors, drives smoking behaviors among Pakistani HCPs. Physical exercise serves as a protective factor, mediating the relationship between perceived stress and smoking. Workplace interventions promoting stress management, physical activity, and job satisfaction are recommended to reduce smoking rates and foster healthier behaviors among HCPs, improving public health outcomes.https://www.tobaccoinduceddiseases.org/Association-of-sociodemographic-and-occupational-stress-factors-with-smoking-behavior,204007,0,2.htmljob satisfactionoccupational stresshealthcare professionalssmokingphysical exercise |
| spellingShingle | Farooq A. Chaudhary Asma Shakoor Muhammad A. Fareed Osama Khattak Mohammed S. Alqarni Rakhi Issrani Thani Alsharari Association of sociodemographic and occupational stress factors with smoking behavior among healthcare professionals: The mediating role of physical exercise Tobacco Induced Diseases job satisfaction occupational stress healthcare professionals smoking physical exercise |
| title | Association of sociodemographic and occupational stress factors with smoking behavior among healthcare professionals: The mediating role of physical exercise |
| title_full | Association of sociodemographic and occupational stress factors with smoking behavior among healthcare professionals: The mediating role of physical exercise |
| title_fullStr | Association of sociodemographic and occupational stress factors with smoking behavior among healthcare professionals: The mediating role of physical exercise |
| title_full_unstemmed | Association of sociodemographic and occupational stress factors with smoking behavior among healthcare professionals: The mediating role of physical exercise |
| title_short | Association of sociodemographic and occupational stress factors with smoking behavior among healthcare professionals: The mediating role of physical exercise |
| title_sort | association of sociodemographic and occupational stress factors with smoking behavior among healthcare professionals the mediating role of physical exercise |
| topic | job satisfaction occupational stress healthcare professionals smoking physical exercise |
| url | https://www.tobaccoinduceddiseases.org/Association-of-sociodemographic-and-occupational-stress-factors-with-smoking-behavior,204007,0,2.html |
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