Smoking Status of Turkish Nursing Students and Factors Affecting Their Behavior

Objective: This descriptive-cross sectional study was conducted in order to determine the smoking status ofnursing students and factors affecting their behavior.
Methods: Subjects were 220 students who were selectedfrom all classes of a School of Nursing with a stratified random sampling method and who voluntarily acceptedto participate. Permission was obtained both from individuals and the relevant institution to conduct the study.Data were collected through Demographic Data Collecting Form, Decisional Balance Scale, Fegostrom AddictionTest and Cessation phase scale. Percentage calculations, chi square, odd ratio, Kruskal wallis and CHAID analysiswere used in the assessment of the data. Findings: 81.5 % of the students were female (163), average age was20.9±1.6 years, age at first smoking was 15.4±4.1, 58.5 of the parents were smokers and at least one person fromamong their friends was smoking (30%). 19.5 % of the students were smoking. The difference between smokingratios of male and female students was significant (p<0.001). Rates increased with increase in the number offriends who smoke (p<0.001). Differences were detected across geographical regions (p=0.023). Smoking mostlyincreases at times of exams (42.5 %). It was estimated that 69.2 % of the smokers are addicts at a low level.Some 56.3 % of the smokers and 12.5 % of non-smokers found smoking beneficial (p<0.001), this increasingthe future smoking risk nine fold. Pros and cons perceptions score averages of smokers were intermediate. Thedifference between score averages of smokers and non-smokers as regards to cancerogenic effects of smokingwas found to be statistically significant (p=0.034). 34 % of the students stated that their opinions about smokingdid not change even though they received an education in the field of nursing.
Conclusion: One in five studentsparticipating in the study was smoker. In terms of variables, while gender, geographical region, number of friendsusing cigarettes and times of exams effect the use of cigarettes, no influence was noted for class, perceived incomelevel, settlement, smoking and cancer cases in the family.