The Prevalence and Determinant of Smoking among Tikrit Medical Students
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Background: The prevalence of smoking among Tikrit medical students is a concerning issue, reflecting wide trends in Iraq and globally. Despite being well-informed about the health risks linked with smoking, some medical students still join in this habit. Factors contributing to this acceptance include peer influence, stress from attentive academic demands, cultural norms, and the addictive feature of nicotine. Efforts to stop smoking should involve targeted educational campaigns, programs for smoking cessation, and institutional policies encourage a smoke-free campus environment for the well-being of coming healthcare professionals.
Objective: The aim of this research is to evaluate the prevalence of smoking between medical students to help encourage effective antismoking measures in this community.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried among medical students at Tikrit University. A structured questionnaire was used, comprising parts on demographic information, smoking behavior, and environmental factors. The questionnaire was self-administered as an online form and was pilot-tested for reliability before administration. Simple random sampling approach was used to ensure representation through different academic years. Ethical considerations were considered, including obtaining informed agreement and ensuring confidentiality with participation being optional and anonymous. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic and smoking prevalence among medical students. Chi-square tests were employed to assess associations between smoking status and categorical variables such as gender, age, and academic year.
Results: Almost 38.4% of respondents have smoked at least once, while 61.6% have not. There is a balanced gender distribution, with approximately 49.8% female and 50.2% male respondents among the 281 participants with higher prevalence among males. The majority of smokers began between the ages of 19-24 years old. Daily smokers account for 44.6% of respondents who smoke, with many smoking fewer than 5 cigarettes a day. Cigarettes are the most common smoking choice among respondents. Roughly 73.5% have attempted to quit smoking, and about half of those who tried managed to quit permanently. Stress seems to influence the smoking habits of around 76.3% of respondents as a coping mechanism. There is a significant portion (18.9%) that reported having psychiatric disorders. Nearly 55.2% of respondents have immediate family members who either smoked or currently smoke. About 74.4% received formal education on smoking dangers during their medical studies. Around 81.5% believe medical students should set an example by not smoking. Peer pressure affected the smoking decisions of approximately 33.8% of respondents.
Conclusion: This conclusion highlights the effect of gender on smoking habit, emphasizing the higher frequency among males. It identifies cigarettes as the most popular kind of smoking, followed by shisha and vaping. The prevalence of smoking is generally low to moderate, with most participants using fewer than 5 cigarettes per day. While a majority of students have family members who smoke, they are not significantly affected by their family's smoking practice. Additionally, smoking is often used as a coping method for stress, indicating a psychological dependency between smokers.
Keywords
smoking, medical students, tobacco smoking, vaping and passive smoking