Consumption Pattern and Risk Factors for Smoking among Medical Students: The Case of King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This cross-sectional study was done to assess consumption, risk factors of tobacco use, and quitting attempts among smokers of King Saud University male medical students registered in the year 2008-2009, using a modified Global Youth Tobacco Survey questionnaire. Out of the total sample (n = 312), 17% were found to be current tobacco smokers. Among smokers, 59% reported using cigarettes alone or with water-pipe, while 38.5% mentioned using water pipe alone. Of smokers, 62.7% started to smoke before entering the college while 37.3% started afterwards. The main risk factors for smoking initiation were: curiosity (34.4%) and peer-pressure (27.9%); whereas the main reported reasons for quitting were health (65.5%) and religion (17.24%). Being a senior (3rd to 5th year student) was found to be significantly associated with taking up the habit of smoking (OR = 3.19; CI = 1.56.91, p = 0.0015). Among non-smokers (n = 258), again, the main reasons for not smoking were reported to be health (43.2%) and religion (39.7%). Moreover, about 63.31% of non-smokers reported exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. In conclusion, smoking cessation has to be encouraged among university students in general. In explicit to medical students, to protect their own health, the health of non-smokers and ensuring that the general public can accept them as role models, after graduation, as practicing physicians.