A Cross-Sectional Survey on the Use of Tobacco, Attempts on Cessation, and Locus of Control Among College Students

Sachin Shinde; Sonali Kumari; Manish Prakash; Prashant G M; Anmol Khajuria; Nitin Modi; Gaurav Kumar Chhabra; Priyanka Paul

doi:10.7759/cureus.46195

A Cross-Sectional Survey on the Use of Tobacco, Attempts on Cessation, and Locus of Control Among College Students

Cureus. 2023 Sep 29;15(9):e46195. doi: 10.7759/cureus.46195. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Authors

Sachin Shinde¹, Sonali Kumari², Manish Prakash³, Prashant G M⁴, Anmol Khajuria⁵, Nitin Modi⁶, Gaurav Kumar Chhabra⁷, Priyanka Paul⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Prakash Institute of Medical Sciences, Islampur, IND.
² Department of Periodontology, Vananchal Dental College and Hospital, Garhwa, IND.
³ Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Vananchal Dental College and Hospital, Garhwa, IND.
⁴ Department of Public Health Dentistry, College of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Davanagere, IND.
⁵ Department of Public Health Dentistry, MM College of Dental Sciences and Research, Mullana, IND.
⁶ Department of Prosthodontics, Vyas Dental College and Hospital, Jodhpur, IND.
⁷ Department of Public Health Dentistry, NIMS Dental College and Hospital, Wardha, IND.
⁸ Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sharad Pawar Dental College and Hospital, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education And Research, Deemed to be University, Wardha, IND.

Abstract

Background Socio-cultural considerations (such as drug availability) and psychological traits play a significant role in predicting whether a person will use drugs in the future and dependency on the drugs. Second-, third-, and fourth-hand smoking and E-cigarettes are influencing factors for the use of tobacco in college students. This study conducted research to ascertain whether there is a potential relationship between tobacco consumption and various factors, including internal and external control sites and demographics. Materials and methods Participants in the study were found by walk-up distribution at multiple campus-wide smoking places, department announcements, and on-campus advertisements. Social media and participant references were also used in this study as recruitment tools. In addition, the locus of control questionnaire also identifies if the participating individual had extrinsic or intrinsic reinforcing routines. The classification of the participating individuals into respective internal and external locus of control was in accordance with their response survey after which a statistical analysis was done. Results This study found an association between smoking on campus and reported attempts to quit. Additionally, there is a strong association (r(85) = 0.31, p < 0.01) between reported tobacco use status and cigarette use on campus. Participants' gender and smoking status also had r(85) = 0.39, p-value < 0.01 correlation. The bulk of respondents indicated that they were seniors and off-campus living concluding for 36% (n = 34) and 60% (n = 51) of the total. Twenty-seven percent (n = 24) of the respondents were first-year college students and the rest 33% (n = 29) said their parents had no college education at all or incomplete college education. Conclusion Whenever there is a strong perception of organizational support for anti-tobacco policies, and improving compliance, there is a drastic increase in cigarette cessation and a drop in tobacco usage among those who still smoke. Perceived organizational support is strongly and positively connected with cessation among the organization's members.

Keywords: external locus; internal locus; locus of control; tobacco cessation; tobacco use.