Knowledge and Attitude Towards Smoking Among Fayoum
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Bulletin of High Institute of Public Health Vol. 40 No. 3 [2010] Knowledge and Attitude towards Smoking among Fayoum University Students Naglaa A El Sherbiny*, Assem El Essawy**, Ekram M Abdel Khalek** Abstract: Smoking is a behavioral cause of premature morbidity and mortality, resulting in approximately four million persons dying of smoking-related diseases annually worldwide. This study aims to investigate the extent of smoking habit, knowledge toward smoking among Fayoum University students. A cross sectional analytical study was conducted in Fayoum University during the academic year 2010. A total of 804 students were selected by using randomized multi-stage sampling using self-administered questionnaire for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. The respondents age ranged from 18 to 26 years 20.36 ± (1.21) years. The males were 51% (n=410) and females were 49% (n=394). The prevalence of smoking among students was 13.4%. a large percentage of the smokers 82.4% used cigarettes while 8.3% smoked water pipe. Regarding knowledge about smoking related diseases, 97.3% of the students knew that smoking causes diseases; but only 5.6% of the sample had good/and satisfactory knowledge score about the causal role of tobacco in the development of specific diseases, and 66.7% of smoker students want to quit with a higher intention of for older group. In conclusion, smoking is prevalent among the university students and their knowledge about the harmful effects of smoking is generally superficial. Definite counseling programs are greatly needed to help students quit smoking. Key words: Smoking- university students- knowledge- attitudes INTRODUCTION Smoking is the most important preventable Human Services reported that 48% of men cause of death, there are 4 million persons and 7% of women in developing countries dying of smoking-related diseases annually. smoke. While in industrialized countries, The annual mortality will exceed ten million 42% of men and 24% of women smoked.(2) during the 2020s. The prevalence of smoking The harmful effects of cigarette smoking in African countries ranged from 17% are destructive and widespread. Smoking to 32%.(1) US Department of Health and affect, nearly every organ in the body and *Public Health & Community Medicine Department Faculty of Medicine-Fayoum University **Chest diseases Department Faculty of Medicine-Fayoum University ***Public Health& Community Medicine Department Faculty of Medicine-Assiut University 573 574 Bull High Inst Public Health Vol.40 No.3 [2010] half of all long-term smokers die cost-effective preventive intervention that prematurely from smoking-related disease. can offer to smoker person.(7) Helping For every person who dies from tobacco smokers to stop smoking should be the use, another 20 suffer; with at least one goal of every health professional through serious tobacco-related illness.(3) motivational process.(8) This process begins According to CDC report; 80% of adult with counseling; a skill that requires the smokers begun smoking before the age of ability to evaluate smokers readiness to quit 18 years and every day, nearly 3000 young and to encourage them into effective action. people become regular smokers.(3) If there Doctors should ask all patients about their is no action plan to stop initiate smokers, smoking habits according to guidelines of more than 5 million children will die smoking cessation state regardless of the prematurely because of future smoking as reason for consultation and should offer adolescents. Tobacco smoking among them brief advice on smoking quitting.(9) youth is a serious health issue in Egypt as it This study aims to investigate the extent is reported that smoking prevalence among of the smoking problem among Fayoum overall youth is 19.6%.(4) University University students and to determine their students are at high risk of smoking as they knowledge about smoking related diseases become exposed to smoking peers and and their intention towards quitting. face social, emotional and educational SUBJECTS AND METHODS challenges.(5) Knowledge about the dangers A cross sectional analytical study was of smoking was a predictor of smoking conducted in Fayoum University which is behavior; and risk awareness alone seems located in Fayoum Governorate, Upper Egypt to be insufficient to stop smoking.(6) during the academic year 2010. The Smoking cessation is the most important, suggested prevalence of smoking among El Sherbiny et al., 575 Egyptian youth aged 15 to 24 years according The questionnaires were administered and to the Demographic Health Survey 2008 was collected in the same setting. 6.2%.(10) The study population consisted of a This study was reviewed and approved by sample of 804 male and female students out the Faculty of Medicine Research Ethical of total Fayoum University students of 25,000 Committee, and a waiver of consent form was which was randomly drawn from different approved. We used an anonymous faculties. Sample was selected by multistage questionnaire with no private or sensitive random sample technique. The fundamental information. Before distributing the criteria for sample selection included: students questionnaire, the researcher informed the aged 18–26 years. An attempt was made to students about the objectives of the study, and include representative proportions of the confidentiality of their information. All male/female and junior /senior students. A total participants had the right not to participate in of 850 questionnaires were distributed among the study. different faculties in Fayoum University. Full Data were analyzed using SPSS participation (total= 804) with a respondent software version 16, simple descriptive rate of 94.6% was obtained. The students analysis in the form of means and standard completed a self-administered Arabic deviations were calculated for numerical questionnaire consisting of 21 items. The first data. Qualitative data were described using six questions were demographics questions. percent distribution and chi square test. seven questions about smoking experience Inferential statistic test was used to detect pattern of smoking, and age of initiation, and differences between categories, with a the last eight questions were about knowledge significant level of less than 0.05. of smoking related diseases concerning Scoring of the knowledge was done various risk factors as well as willing to quit. where we the correct answer was scored 1 576 Bull High Inst Public Health Vol.40 No.3 [2010] and the false or don’t know answers were Engineering and Faculty of Sciences), scored 0. The knowledge score was wheyeas the theoretical faculties computed by summing all correct represented 39.8% (Faculty of Tourism, responses. Categorization of the Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Social Work). knowledge was done as follows: The students were mainly in second, third Poor knowledge was considered if < 50% and fourth grades 92.4% (n=743) as seene of questions were answered correctly. in Table 1. Satisfactory knowledge was considered The prevalence of smoking among if from 50% to 75% of questions were Fayoum University students was 13.4% answered correctly. (26.3% in male and 0% in female). The Good knowledge was considered if > 75% majority of the smokers (82.4%) used of questions were answered correctly. cigarettes while 8.3% smoked water pipe. The RESULTS average age of smoking initiation ranged from In the present study, from 804 12 to 22 years with a mean ± SD of 17.73 ± participating students, male respondents 1.99 years. The period of smoking ranging were 51% (n=410) and females were 49% from 1 to 11 years with a mean ± SD of (n=394), the students age ranged from 18 2.87±1.85 years. The numbers of cigarette to 26 years with a mean (± SD) of 20.36 smoking per day ranged from 1 to 40 with a (±1.21) years. A 58.8% (n=470) of the mean ± SD of 11.05 ± 6.66 cigarettes and less students were from urban areas, while than two thirds of smokers were moderate 41.2% (n=334) were in rural areas smokers as they consumed 10-20 cigarettes residency. The Applied sciences faculties per day (Table 2). represented 60.7% of the study sample A total of 439 (54.6%) of the students' families, (Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of one or more members were currently smoking El Sherbiny et al., 577 369 (84.1%) of which were cigarette smokers knowledge, 3.9% their knowledge was and, 182 (41.5%) of which were suffering from satisfactory while the majority 94.4% had smoking related diseases such as chest poor knowledge. disease (88.02%), heart diseases (8.2%), Good/satisfactory level of knowledge peptic ulcer (2.7%), osteoporosis (2.7%) and about smoking health hazards was liver diseases (1.1%). relatively more among age group 18-20 As regards knowledge about smoking years, urban residents, students in applied related diseases, (n=782) (97.3%) of the sciences faculties and tobacco smokers. study sample knew about harmful effect of These differences are statistically smoking in developing different diseases significant (P < 0.05). as showe in Table 5. such as cancer, chest and heart diseases. While 72 (66.7%) of smoker students Regarding the source of information, the intended to attempt quitting smoking, students took their knowledge about 36(33.3%) of them were not intended to do so smoking hazards mainly from mass media even theugh they know its health hazasds. (62.4%), followed by learning about The positive attitude of quitting is statistically smoking hazards from their studi programs significant among older age group (21-26) (19.7%). Also, health facilities and friends while no significaut difference was found fer were considering as effective source of the other studied vairiables (residence, focety information (19.4% and 18.4%, serpetively type and knowledye score. as shown in Table 4. DISCUSSION Figure 1 illustrates the score of Smoking and the use of other tobacco knowledge about the causal role of tobacco products has been linked to a wide range of in the development of specific diseases, detrimental health outcomes including cancer, only 1.7% of participants had good cardiovascular disease and respiratory illness.