Tobacco smoking among the first-year medical students

Alicja Siemińska; Joanna M. Jassem; Maja Uherek; Tomasz Wilanowski; Radosław Nowak; Ewa Jassem:

Vol 74, No 4 (2006)

Research paper

Published online: 2006-09-08

Submitted: 2013-02-22

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Tobacco smoking among the first-year medical students

Alicja Siemińska, Joanna M. Jassem, Maja Uherek, Tomasz Wilanowski, Radosław Nowak, Ewa Jassem:

Pneumonol Alergol Pol 2006;74(4):377-382.

Vol 74, No 4 (2006)

ORIGINAL PAPERS

Published online: 2006-09-08

Submitted: 2013-02-22

Abstract

The studies have shown that despite studying medicine the rate of tobacco smokers among students is still high. Moreover, in Poland the incidence of smoking is increasing among the youngsters. The study was designed to assess the rate of smokers among the first-year students of two consecutive courses at the Medical University of Gdańsk and define their attitudes towards tobacco smoking. The voluntary, multiple-choice questionnaires were distributed among 412 students. The rate of response was 100%. Twenty one percent of responders were current smokers (17% females and 28% men), whereas 7% declared previous smoking. There was no correlation between incidence of smoking among students and their parents (p = 0.11). 61% of smokers declared the will to give up their habit and of those 94% were aware of the negative impact of cigarettes on their health. In the group which did not declare the will to quit smoking only 75% knew what the impact of cigarettes on their health was; p = 0.02. Only 23% of smokers considered anti-nicotine therapy effective. Almost a half of smokers considered nicotine replacement therapy ineffective for them in quitting cigarette smoking. Conclusion: The rate of smokers among the first-year medical students is lower than in general population, but it is still relatively high. However more than a half of smokers wants to give up their habit. Of those who are not willing to, 25% is not aware of the cigarettes’ impact on their health. These results call for further anti-nicotine actions.