Determining the prevalence of cigarette consumption and dependence among medical students of East Azerbaijan province in 2022

Abstract

Smoking has many negative effects on various aspects of human life, especially youth. Smoking can lead to increased susceptibility to various diseases, increased exposure to major stresses and risky behaviors, decreased academic performance and motivation especially among students. Various studies have shown that the prevalence of smoking and nicotine dependence is higher among medical students. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of smoking and nicotine dependence among medical students at different academic levels and to determine the relationship between nicotine dependence scores and demographic characteristics of students in East Azerbaijan Province in the year 2022. Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study, conducted with ethical approval and participants' consent, collected information from medical students based on their entry and exit criteria. The data gathered included gender, marital status, educational level, smoking habits, and responses to the standard Fagerstrom questionnaire. The data was then analyzed using SPSS software.

Results Out of 334 people who participated in the study, 150 individuals (44.9%) were male and 58 individuals (17.4%) were smokers. A significant correlation was observed between smoking, gender, and educational level of students. The level of nicotine dependence was categorized as very low in 10 individuals (3%), low in 8 individuals (4.2%), moderate in 15 individuals (5.4%), high in 16 individuals (8.4%), and very high in 9 individuals (7.2%). A significant relationship was also observed between nicotine dependence in medical students and their gender and educational level.