Ejaz Ahmed Khan, Ahmad Alamgir, Rizwan Ullah, Uzma Nazim, Anoushay Khan, Lauqman Hafeez, Omer Asghar.
Factors and Frequencies Associated with Cigarette Smoking Initiation in Medical Students.
Pak J Med Health Sci Jan ;13(2):490-3.

Background: Cigarettes smoke contains many carcinogens and is highly injurious to health and according to statistics the relative risk of heart and respiratory diseases and its mortality is double in smokers as compared to non-smokers However, smoking cessation reduces the risk of major diseases dramatically and, in some cases, to the same level as that of non-smokers. In Pakistan, doctors are role models of healthy life style and their advice are listened and practiced accordingly . Aim: To identify among medical students, the initiation period, influencing factors for tobacco smoking, knowledge of tobacco related health hazards and efforts made by smokers to quit smoking. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenient sample of private medical college students by using an anonymous self-administered structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was based on demography, awareness regarding smoking hazard, direct consequences of cigarette smoking, factors playing vital role in initiating smoking habit and any measure to quit cigarette smoking. Results: During the study, out of 218 a total of 211 students (136 male and 75 females) responded voluntarily (response rate of 96. 8%) to the questionnaire. The over all frequency of students who ever smoked was 43% (males 87% and females 13%). Among 91 smokers 66 (73%) initiated smoking after getting admission in medical college (85% males and 15 % females) , among these 66 smokers 51% identified stress (82% males and 18% females) as the main cause of initiating smoking after joining medical college. Generally, out of all the 211 respondents irrespective of smokers and non-smokers , 36% listed cancer as top while 21% shared COPD as second and 20% Cardiac diseases as third health implication of cigarette smoking. Among 91 smokers almost 37% students (males 79% and females 21%) tried to quit smoking while 63% did not make any effort to quit smoking. Conclusion: As indicated by the majority of the students who responded to the survey there is need to identify the adverse and life-threatening consequences of smoking. Also to educate and train students about the methods to refraining and quitting smoking.

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