Incidence Rate of Nicotine Addiction in University Students of Tomsk

Abstract

Background: tobacco use is one of the leading risk factors for early death and disability worldwide. Comorbidity of anxiety disorders and nicotine dependence reduces the efficiency of the specialist complex therapy of tobacco dependence. Of significance is a problem of timely detection of such concurrent disorders.Objective: to study nicotine addiction and severity of anxiety in students of the Tomsk State University (TSU) and Siberian State Medical University (SSMU) of Tomsk City.Surveyed students and methods: the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were usedto recognize nicotine addiction in 323 students (78 males; 24.1% and 245 women; 75.9%).Results: the findings on nicotine addiction in students were as follows: 59.0% never smoked, 12.4% smoked previously, 21.9% are currently cigarette smokers, 6.7% use tobacco heating systems (THS). The median total score according to the HADS anxiety subscale in current smokers made 7 (6; 9) points, in current THS smokers — 7 (5; 10), in previously smokers — 7 (5; 9), in never smoking —7 (4; 9). The median total score according to the HADS depression subscale in currently cigarette smokers made 6 (4; 8) points, currently THS smokers — 4.5 (2; 5), previously smokers — 4 (3; 7), in never smoking — 5 (3; 7). The study revealed formation of nicotine addiction in 26% of surveyed individuals; age of the regular smoking onset was 16.1 (14.2; 17.5) years, nicotine dependence formed at the age of 17.0 (16; 18) years (p = 0.001).Conclusions: the availability of direct dependency between indicators of total score of anxiety according to the HADS and the FTND (rs = 0.51; p < 0.05) is an evidence of predictive value of anxiety for nicotine addiction and need of timely preventive intervention.