Awareness Regarding Cigarette Smoking Among Adult Cigarette Smokers in Bhaktapur, Nepal

Abstract

Introduction: Cigarette smoking is a highly avoidable factor responsible for a substantial number of deaths and illnesses globally. With a death toll of eight million people worldwide, increasing awareness concerning the dangers of smoking is imperative. Educating people about the national policy against smoking in public places and its detrimental effects can reduce smoking-related health issues and fatalities. This study aimed to assess adult smokers' awareness levels regarding cigarette smoking. Material and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate adult cigarette smokers aged 20 to 59 years in Bhaktapur, Nepal. The study included a sample size of 92 participants, selected using a non-probability sampling technique. Data collection was done through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. The collected data was subjected to both descriptive and inferential analyses using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 16. Results: Among the adult cigarette smokers surveyed, 55.4% of respondents demonstrated an adequate awareness of cigarette smoking. The respondents had sufficient awareness of the policies against and the detrimental effects of smoking on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. However, the level of awareness was insufficient regarding the after-effects on the nervous system, reproductive system, and eye disorders. A significant association was found between the level of awareness and factors such as age (p=0.01), sex (p=0.00), education (p=0.00), occupation (p=0.01), and total average income (p=0.01). Conclusion: Sufficient awareness regarding the ill effects of smoking is still lacking. This highlights the need for increasing awareness regarding the health effects and policies about cigarette smoking, especially in the community setting.