Prevalence and behavior regarding cigarette and water pipe smoking among Syrian undergraduates.

Attitude Cigarette Education Epidemiology Fagerström test Public health Smoking Substance abuse and dependence Syria University students War Water pipe

Journal

Heliyon
ISSN: 2405-8440
Titre abrégé: Heliyon
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101672560

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
Nov 2020
Historique:
received: 18 05 2020
revised: 13 09 2020
accepted: 30 10 2020
entrez: 18 11 2020
pubmed: 19 11 2020
medline: 19 11 2020
Statut: epublish

Résumé

The devastating Syrian crisis has raised concern regarding the social acceptance of smoking especially with water pipe use becoming a growing epidemic. We aim to determine the prevalence of cigarette and water pipe smoking among university students, along with identifying the addictive behavior among university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Syrian Private University during World No-Tobacco Day, in Damascus, Syria during the war crisis. The survey consists of 4 sections: socio-demographic information, Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence, attitude towards water pipes, and perspective about smoking. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Sciences version 25.0 (SPSS Inc., United States.). Of the 622 participants, 429 (69%) were males with a mean age of 21.3 ± 3.1 years. The prevalence of tobacco smoking was 320 (51.4%), 208 (23.8%) for cigarettes, and 112 (18.0%) for water pipe. Smoking was significantly higher among male non-medical university students. The majority were low to moderate dependent when assessed by the Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence. This study showed a very high prevalence of smoking indicating the need for smoking cessation programs, access to effective quitting treatments, and mass media campaigns to diminish smoking among the youth.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
The devastating Syrian crisis has raised concern regarding the social acceptance of smoking especially with water pipe use becoming a growing epidemic. We aim to determine the prevalence of cigarette and water pipe smoking among university students, along with identifying the addictive behavior among university students.
METHODS METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Syrian Private University during World No-Tobacco Day, in Damascus, Syria during the war crisis. The survey consists of 4 sections: socio-demographic information, Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence, attitude towards water pipes, and perspective about smoking. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Sciences version 25.0 (SPSS Inc., United States.).
RESULTS RESULTS
Of the 622 participants, 429 (69%) were males with a mean age of 21.3 ± 3.1 years. The prevalence of tobacco smoking was 320 (51.4%), 208 (23.8%) for cigarettes, and 112 (18.0%) for water pipe. Smoking was significantly higher among male non-medical university students. The majority were low to moderate dependent when assessed by the Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence.
CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS
This study showed a very high prevalence of smoking indicating the need for smoking cessation programs, access to effective quitting treatments, and mass media campaigns to diminish smoking among the youth.

Identifiants

pubmed: 33204883
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05423
pii: S2405-8440(20)32266-0
pmc: PMC7653068
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Pagination

e05423

Informations de copyright

© 2020 The Authors.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Références

Tob Use Insights. 2016 Mar 03;9:1-6
pubmed: 26966391
Compr Psychiatry. 2016 Jul;68:78-85
pubmed: 27234187
J Pediatr. 1997 Apr;130(4):518-24
pubmed: 9108846
Health Psychol. 1990;9(6):701-16
pubmed: 2286181
East Mediterr Health J. 2018 May 03;24(2):154-160
pubmed: 29748944
Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2008 Sep;12(9):1085-91
pubmed: 18713509
Tob Control. 2008 Apr;17(2):e3
pubmed: 18375726
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2020 Mar 01;21(3):583-591
pubmed: 32212782
Pediatrics. 2009 Feb;123(2):e282-8
pubmed: 19171581
Lancet. 2017 May 13;389(10082):1885-1906
pubmed: 28390697
Nicotine Tob Res. 2010 Jun;12(6):606-12
pubmed: 20418383
Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2004 Jul;8(7):882-9
pubmed: 15260281
Am J Public Health. 1998 Oct;88(10):1518-22
pubmed: 9772855
Environ Health Prev Med. 2010 Mar;15(2):115-20
pubmed: 19802656
East Mediterr Health J. 2013 Oct;19(10):861-8
pubmed: 24313150
Public Health Action. 2016 Mar 21;6(1):38-43
pubmed: 27051611
Ann Oncol. 2005 May;16(5):703-6
pubmed: 15817598
Glob Health Action. 2018;11(sup3):1589763
pubmed: 30963822
Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2012 Jul;16(7):986-92
pubmed: 22525279
J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2002 May;301(2):594-8
pubmed: 11961061
J Infect Public Health. 2010 Dec;3(4):179-87
pubmed: 21126722
Am J Health Behav. 2019 Jan 1;43(1):219-227
pubmed: 30522579
Addiction. 2003 Nov;98(11):1575-83
pubmed: 14616184
Br J Addict. 1991 Sep;86(9):1119-27
pubmed: 1932883
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2014;15(11):4575-81
pubmed: 24969888
Nicotine Tob Res. 2007 May;9(5):591-6
pubmed: 17454715
Pneumonol Alergol Pol. 2004;72(5-6):198-200
pubmed: 15757258
Addict Biol. 1998 Oct;3(4):383-404
pubmed: 26735114
Tob Control. 2015 Mar;24 Suppl 1:i3-i12
pubmed: 25298368
Int J Nurs Stud. 2002 Nov;39(8):793-802
pubmed: 12379297
J Addict Dis. 2005;24(1):85-100
pubmed: 15774413
Nicotine Tob Res. 2003 Feb;5(1):111-6
pubmed: 12745512
Pediatrics. 2005 Jul;116(1):e113-9
pubmed: 15995011
Tob Use Insights. 2014 Feb 10;7:9-14
pubmed: 25741180

Auteurs

Homam Alolabi (H)

Faculty of Medicine, Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria.

Mhd Obai Alchallah (MO)

Faculty of Medicine, Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria.

Fatema Mohsen (F)

Faculty of Medicine, Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria.

Mosa Shibani (M)

Faculty of Medicine, Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria.

Hlma Ismail (H)

Faculty of Medicine, Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria.

Mhd Amin Alzabibi (MA)

Faculty of Medicine, Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria.

Bisher Sawaf (B)

Faculty of Medicine, Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria.
Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center Beirut, Lebanon.
Internal Medicine Department, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.

Classifications MeSH