Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to determine the pattern and effects of tobacco and tobacco products use among students of dentistry.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross sectional study was performed in the Dentistry Faculty of Ege and Dicle Universities between April and May 2013. All freshmen and senior year students receiving education in both universities were included into the study (n= 321). A questionnaire consisting of 26 questions was used to determine the smoking habits of the students and the influencing factors regarding this habit. Students replied the questions under supervision.

RESULTS: A survey was conducted among 298 students out of 321 who were attending both universities. 46.6% of the participants were female and 53.4% were male. Smoking prevelance of the students was 29.9%. It was 19.9% in freshmen students and 45.8% in senior students. According to the first class of students in the fifth grade students in the prevalence of smoking in was found to be highly statistically significant (p< 0.001). Among other tobacco products the following was identified as mostly used: waterpipe, also known as narghile (27.4%), cigarwraps (9.7%), cigar (9.4%) and smoking pipe (2.0%). While 22.5% of the students stated that they started smoking after the age of 15, 36.0% started between the ages of 15 and 18 and 41.5% after the age of 19. The rate of smoking in the house was significantly higher (p< 0.001) among smokers than non-smokers. While 78.7% of the students stated that they would like to quit, 64.3% tried once or more to quit.

CONCLUSION: Smoking habit was found to be higher among medical students than the social average. Smoking is more frequent in higher classes. From early years onwards, students of dentistry should be intensively educated regarding the harmful effects of tobacco on health, and efforts should be made to prevent and control of tobacco epidemic.