The World Health Organization (WHO),
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's), and the
Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) Office on Smoking and Health
developed the Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS) to collect data on tobacco use and cessation
counseling among health-profession students in all WHO member states. GHPSS is part of the Global
Tobacco Surveillance System (GTSS), which collects data through three surveys: the Global Youth Tobacco
Survey (GYTS), the Global School Personnel Survey (GSPS), and GHPSS.
GHPSS is a school-based survey
of third-year students pursuing advanced degrees in dentistry, medicine, nursing, or pharmacy. The
GHPSS uses a core questionnaire on demographics, prevalence of cigarette smoking and other tobacco use,
knowledge and attitudes about tobacco use, exposure to secondhand smoke, desire for smoking cessation,
and training received regarding patient counseling on smoking cessation techniques. The GHPSS has a
standardized methodology for selecting participating schools and classes and uniform data processing
procedures.
Support for the GHPSS has been provided by CDC, the Canadian Public Health Association, the
World Health Organization's Tobacco-Free Initiative, and the
American Cancer Society (ACS).