Researchers from the Tobacco Control Unit of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) and the University of Barcelona have analyzed changes in attitudes toward tobacco control and perceptions of the training received during the Nursing degree. The study, published in the journal Journal of Addictions Nursing, included a cohort of 1,097 nursing students from all universities in Catalonia.
Results from the ECTEC‑S study show a general increase in positive attitudes and in the perception of having received training in tobacco control between the baseline assessment (2015–2016 academic year) and the follow-up (2018–2019). Despite this overall improvement, some aspects remained low, such as the perception of serving as a role model for society and confidence in implementing smoking cessation interventions.
Key findings include:
- Students in the early years of the degree (first and second year) were more likely to develop positive attitudes and to perceive an increase in their tobacco-related training over time.
- Participants who were former smokers or never smokers were more predisposed to adopt positive attitudes but less likely to report an improvement in perceived training.
This study highlights the need to enhance nursing students’ training and attitudes toward tobacco control by incorporating evidence-based preventive and cessation interventions. It also underscores the importance of strengthening tobacco-related education within nursing curricula to ensure effective management of patients’ tobacco dependence in future clinical practice.