Prevalence of cigarette smoking among Sulaimani University students

Volume 1 , Issue 2 , December 2014 , Pages 51-56

Authors

Zhian Salah Ramzi 1

1 Lecturer at Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine/University of Sulaimani.

DOI logo 10.17656/sdj.10020

Keywords

Abstract

Objectives: The study was carried out to determine the prevalence of cigarette smoking and find out the socio-demographic correlates of smoking among Sulaimani University students.

Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October to November 2007 on 2750 students in Sulaimani University. A systematic stratified sampling technique was used. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection on age and gender of students, college, years of study, and age of starting smoking.

Results: Out of 2722 respondents, 302 students were smokers giving a prevalence rate of 11.1%. The prevalence of smokers was significantly (P< 0.001) higher in males than females (19% and 1% respectively). The highest rate of smokers was among the age group 23-26 years in both sexes. About 10% of students started smoking at age less than 12 years, 8.2% at age 12-17 year, 50% at 18-22, and 31.7% at 23-26 years.

Conclusions: The prevalence of smoking was moderate. More than half of students started smoking during their study years in the university. Males and students in third and fourth academic years were more likely to smoke. The results provide baseline data to develop an anti-smoking program to limit smoking in the university.

Statistics
  • Article view641
  • Downloads1
  • Published at2 December 2014

  • RIS
  • BibTeX
  • EndNote
  • Mendeley
  • APA (7th edition)
  • MLA (9th edition)
  • Chicago
  • Harvard
  • IEEE
  • Vancouver