Research Information System
9. International Health Sciences and Management Conference, İstanbul, Turkey, 23 May 2024, pp.241-242
Problem of the Study: Smoking is one of the most important factors that negatively affects health. Past studies in our country draw attention to the prevalence of smoking among university students. Effective policies are needed to address the issue. Purpose of the Study: The purpose of the study is to investigate the frequency of smoking among university students and the factors that influence it. Method: A survey was conducted at Istinye University using convenience sampling method. The survey included a general data form, Smoking Expectancy Scale, Fagerstrom Test, and Decisional Balance Scale. Data were analyzed via the SPSS v.25 program. Frequency distributions, ANOVA, Student T-test, and Pearson Correlation Test were used in the analysis. Statistical significance was considered at 0.05. Results: A study was conducted with 543 students, of which 66.3% were female. It was found that approximately 30% of students smoke regularly, with an average age of starting smoking being 17.7+2.7. On average, smokers consume 12.5+10.6 cigarettes per day. Nicotine addiction levels of 50% of smokers were found to be moderate or high. The most common reason for starting smoking was friendship, which was cited by 81% of the participants. Although the majority of students thought about quitting smoking within one year, 33.8% of them expressed that the biggest obstacle to quitting was their friend environment. The study also found significant differences between smokers and non-smokers in five dimensions of the smoking expectancy scale. However, there was no difference between the two groups in the social harm dimension. Decisional balance scores of students who smoke were significantly different based on their nicotine addiction levels. As expected, students with high nicotine addiction perceived higher benefits from smoking. Conclusions: Approximately one in three student's smoke. The most influential factor in starting smoking is the influence of friends. The majority of smokers plan to quit within a year.
Keywords: Smoking, University Students, Decisional Balance, Smoking Expectancy, Health Management