| Abstract: | OBJECTIVE: Water-pipe tobacco smoking is becoming increasingly more common among young
people. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of the use of
water pipes and other forms of tobacco use, including cigarette smoking, among
medical students, as well as to examine the attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge of
those students regarding this issue. METHODS: We administered a questionnaire to students enrolled in the University of São
Paulo School of Medicine, in São Paulo, Brazil. The respondents were evaluated in
their third and sixth years of medical school, between 2008 and 2013. Comparisons
were drawn between the two years. RESULTS: We evaluated 586 completed questionnaires. Overall, the prevalence of current
cigarette smokers was low, with a decline among males (9.78% vs. 5.26%) and an
increase among females (1.43% vs. 2.65%) in the 3rd and 6th year, respectively.
All respondents believed that health professionals should advise patients to quit
smoking. However, few of the medical students who smoked received physician advice
to quit. Experimentation with other forms of tobacco use was more common among
males (p<0.0001). Despite their knowledge of its harmful effects, students
experimented with water-pipe tobacco smoking in high proportions (47.32% and
46.75% of the third- and sixth-year students, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of experimentation with water-pipe tobacco smoking and other forms
of tobacco use is high among aspiring physicians. Our findings highlight the need
for better preventive education programs at medical schools, not only to protect
the health of aspiring physicians but also to help them meet the challenge posed
by this new epidemic. |
