Community Medicine Abstracts - College of Medicine and Health ...

Project No. 239 (2007)Attitude and Knowledge of First Year University Students Towards Smokingand Its Impact on HealthStudent Authors: Khawla Rashed Ahmed Al-Shehhi, Hefsa Rashed Humaid Al-Shamsi, Naema Salem Saeed Al-Kaabi, Alya Ali Mehad Al-SuwaidiFaculty Supervisors: Dr. P. Barss, Dr. M. Grivna, Dr. R. BernsenAbstract:Objectives: Smoking is a worldwide problem that has always been a challenge tohealth care programs all over the world. It is considered one of the preventable causesof death. The prevalence is increasing among Al Ain male students who study in urbangovernment schools (1). The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge and attitudeof male and female students in the University General Requirement Unit (UGRU) inUnited Arab Emirates University towards smoking and its impact on health, and to helpdevelop better preventive measures.Methods: The study was a cross sectional survey, 2007. The target group was UGRUstudents. Sampling was multistage. Classes were selected randomly which included 11classes of female students and 13 classes of male students. Self-administeredquestionnaires consisting of 39 structured questions were distributed to the studentsfor assessing their attitude, knowledge and opinion about risks of smoking. The studypopulation included 396 students, 352 Emirati and 44 non-Emirati. Data analysis wasdone using SPSS. Different properties were used such as frequencies, crosstabulations, and observed differences were tested for significance using Chi-square.Results: Both male and female students had fairly good knowledge about the healthimpact of smoking on smokers and their spouses. However, their knowledge abouthealth of smoking on children was lagging behind especially with male students whoshowed lower percentage. Regarding male and female students opinion about theharm of smoking, 47% of males consider it as a bad habit while 58% of femalesconsider it as an addiction. 49% of males and 51% females would consider quittingsmoking as moderately difficult. On the other hand, 24% of males believe that quittingis not difficult. 51% of male students think that peer pressure is the main cause tostart smoking while 51% of female students think that stress is the major cause.Conclusion: Systematic educational programs regarding smoking and its effect onsmoker’s health, partners and children health must be established in early stages todrag the students' attention toward this risky behavior. Second hand smoking issuesmust be taken into consideration as the students underestimate its risk. Smoking mustbe forbidden in schools, universities and public places in general to restrict smokingbehaviors. Male students should know more about the addictive effect of tobaccosmoking. More health promotion campaigns should be carried out in the schools toemphasize the negative effects of smoking. Efforts should be done in order to changethe wrong impression that male students share about smokers being more attractiveand powerful. Selling of cigarette and other types of smoking must be restricted tocertain age group to prevent initiation of this behavior in young ages. Media withcooperation of Ministry of Health must establish educational material in TVs, cinema,street and shopping malls to spread the knowledge of smoking risk. Copies of thisproject should be distributed to the responsible people in schools and preventivemedicine in order to increase the awareness among young adults.