Attitudes and Smoking Prevalence Among Undergraduate Students in Central Greece

Abstract

Tobacco smoking is a major public health problem globally. The vast majority of smokers start smoking early. The hazards of smoking depend on a plethora of factors such as the age one starts to smoke, number of cigarettes smoked per day, nicotine, and filter type of the cigarette among other factors. According to the World Health Organization, most tobacco-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Undergraduate students are an important part of the general population, and their life conditions, smoking rates, and the knowledge, attitudes, and exposure to smoking (including secondhand smoke) are an interesting topic for investigation. The aim of the present study is to investigate undergraduate university students' smoking attitudes as well as the prevalence of smoking and their exposure to secondary smoke. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 600 undergraduate students in Central Greece. Anonymous self-report-adjusted questionnaires were distributed in students of the Technological Educational Institute of Thessaly. The total prevalence of tobacco smoking was 35%, while the majority of the smokers were females (65%). Fifty-three of the participants reported daily exposure to secondary smoke inside their houses, and 45% of them reported daily exposure to secondary smoke in their work.

Keywords: Greece; Secondhand smoke; Smoking; Undergraduate students.