Smoking behavior among nursing students in Sousse, Tunisia: a preliminary study

• Published in: Revue des maladies respiratoires Vol. 31; no. 3; p. 248
• Main Authors: Khefacha Aissa, S, Said Latiri, H, Ben Rejeb, M, Chebil, D, Dhidah, L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: France 01.03.2014
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Peer Group; Smoking - epidemiology; Stress, Psychological - epidemiology; Students, Nursing - statistics & numerical data; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tunisia - epidemiology; Young Adult; Tunisia; Tabagisme; Nursing; Health knowledge; Students; Élèves infirmiers; Comportements de santé; Health behaviour; Connaissances en matière de santé; Smoking
• ISSN: 1776-2588

Smoking is an entirely preventable, man-made, epidemic. It is a major, worldwide, public health problem whose social costs are very high. Health care workers have an important role to play in tobacco control. We conducted a study among nursing students to examine their smoking behavior, their attitudes towards smoking, and their participation in prevention. This descriptive, transverse study was conducted in March 2011 during which an anonymous self-completion questionnaire was administered to nursing students. The study included 150 students aged between 18 and 25 years with a sex ratio of 1:3. The prevalence of smoking was 32.6%. Male students began smoking at an earlier age (16.5±2.3 years vs 18.9±1.1 years). The main initiating factors were stress (55%), pleasure (46.9%) and peer influence (36.5%). The Fagerstrom score showed a high level of dependency in 26.5% of smokers. More than 75% of student smokers have tried to quit. Most of the students surveyed (93%) think that health care workers should set a good example by not smoking and 91% of them think they should help others quit smoking. Health care workers should be well informed about the harmful effects of tobacco. They should be convinced of the need for their participation in smoking prevention and the fight against this medico-social scourge. It is essential that their training prepares them for this task and that their environment helps them fulfill their responsibility.