| Abstract: | OBJECTIVE: Smoking is a serious problem that has a devastating impact on health. The
objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of and factors influencing
smoking among medical and non-medical students in Tbilisi, Georgia, as well as to
determine whether medical education has an impact on smoking. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out at Tbilisi State Medical University and
Tbilisi State University, both of which are located in Tbilisi, Georgia. A total
of 400 4th-year students (200 students at each university) were asked to complete
standardized questionnaires. RESULTS: Of the sample as a whole, 48.75% were identified as smokers and 51.25% were
identified as nonsmokers. The mean age was 20.24 years among smokers and 20.26
years among nonsmokers. Of the medical students, 49.5% were smokers, as were 48.0%
of the non-medical students. The male-to-female ratio in the study population was
0.9:1.1. Smoking was found to have a strong relationship with gender, males
accounting for 65% of all smokers. Of the smokers, 56.9% stated that they would
like to quit smoking (for health or financial reasons). Of the medical students,
59.5% expressed a willingness to quit smoking, as did 54.2% of the non-medical
students. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to improve smoking education for undergraduate students. Special
attention should be given to the inclusion of anti-smoking education in
undergraduate curricula, as well as to the implementation of smoking prevention
campaigns at institutions of higher education. However, such measures will be
effective only if tobacco control policies are strictly enforced on the national
level as well. |
