Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Tobacco Prevention and Cessation, cilt.10, 2024 (ESCI)
Background Tobacco consumption is high among medical students. Additionally, tobacco smoke exposure exposes medical students to the same risks as other community members. The lack of awareness among students and the weak enforcement of indoor smoking prohibition might cause such unwanted consequences. Objectives This study aims to determine the frequency of tobacco smoking among medical students and assess their exposure to violations of smoke-free laws in enclosed spaces over the past 30 days. It also identifies critical locations where these infractions occur and explores associated factors. Methods A descriptive study was conducted using a questionnaire-based survey among students from two public and two private medical faculties in Türkiye and Northern Cyprus in 2023. Of the invited students, 628 responded. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 23.0. Descriptive statistics included frequencies, percentages, means ± standard deviations, and medians (IQRs). Relationships between categorical variables were assessed using Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests, with significance set at p<0.05. Binary logistic regression analyzed predictors of exposure to smoke-free violations. Ethical approvals were obtained from each university. Results Most participants were female (56.4%), with a mean age of 21.5 ± 2.37 years. Nearly one in five students was a current tobacco user (19.9%). Smokers had higher exposure to passive smoking than non-smokers (92.0% vs. 82.5%, p = 0.009). Encountering tobacco industry-branded vehicles was associated with higher exposure (92.3% vs. 83.7%, p = 0.03). Exposure to violations of the anti-smoking ban in enclosed spaces was statistically significantly higher among the students who smoked with higher frequency (OR=2.418, 95% CI 1.172 to 4.990, p=0.017). Conclusions This study underscores the need for strict tobacco control among medical students, emphasizing advocacy and interdisciplinary collaboration to combat tobacco industry influence.