Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42746254›Full record

ArticleAddiction & health2026

Fighting the Smoking Epidemic in Syria: First Online Course to Equip Health Professionals with Smoking Cessation Competencies.

Yazan Kenjrawi, Kheder Kheder, Nour Alkurdi, Sulaf Hamid, Kenneth D Ward, Yara Salameh, Maysson Dashash

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Article in Addiction & health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Yazan KenjrawiFaculty of Dentistry, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2684-6042
Kheder KhederHealth For All Research Group, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9995-3204
Nour AlkurdiHealth For All Research Group, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3714-2157
Sulaf HamidMedical Education Master Program, Syrian Virtual University, Damascus, Syria.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3586-0644
Kenneth D WardCollege of Population Health, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8972-538X
Yara SalamehHealth For All Research Group, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria.
Maysson DashashMedical Education Master Program, Syrian Virtual University, Damascus, Syria.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9877-3217

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The prolonged conflict in Syria has increased psychosocial stress and contributed to high smoking rates. Despite healthcare providers' critical role in smoking cessation, medical curricula lack adequate coverage of related competencies, and high physician smoking rates remain major barriers. This study evaluated the effectiveness and feasibility of the Smoking Cessation Strategy Course (SCSC), an online course aimed at enhancing Syrian healthcare professionals' knowledge, perceived skills, and attitudes toward smoking cessation. Methods: This single-arm intervention involved a peer-led, asynchronous online course comprising 10 brief lessons (each 10 minutes long) and facilitated WhatsApp discussions. Participants (n=120) included medical, dental, and pharmacy students and graduates. Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires assessed smoking cessation knowledge, perceived skills, and attitudes. Paired t-tests evaluated changes ( Finding: Ninety-four participants completed the post-test (78.3% retention). Knowledge improved significantly (pre-test 11.5±1.5 vs. post-test 17.4±1.55; Conclusion: The SCSC significantly improved knowledge and perceived confidence in delivering smoking cessation interventions, demonstrating feasibility in a low-resource, conflict-affected context. While attitude changes were limited, this online model offers a scalable, low-cost approach to strengthening tobacco treatment capacity in Syria and similar LMIC settings.

Indexed as

Feasibility studiesHealthcare professionalsOnline educationSmoking cessationSyria

Identifiers

PMID42746254
PMCPMC13575663

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.