Title of article :
Predictors of smoking among male college students in Saudi Arabia
Author/Authors :
Almogbel, Y.S. University of Houston - College of Pharmacy - Department of Clinical Sciences and Administration, USA , Abughosh, S.M. University of Houston - College of Pharmacy - Department of Clinical Sciences and Administration, USA , Almogbel, F.S. King Saud University - College of Medicine - Department of Community and Family Medicine, Saudi Arabia , Alhaidar, I.A. King Faisal University - College of Clinical Pharmacy - Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Saudi Arabia , Sansgiry, S.S. University of Houston - College of Pharmacy - Department of Clinical Sciences and Administration, USA
Abstract :
Identifying the predictors of smoking in one of the top cigarette-consuming countries in the world is a vital step in smoking prevention. A cross-sectional study assessed the predictors of smoking in a cohort of male students in 3 universities in Saudi Arabia. A pre-tested, validated questionnaire was used to determine sociodemographic characteristics, academic performance, peers’ smoking, and presence of a smoker within the family. Of the 337 participants, 30.9% were current smokers (smoked 1 or more cigarettes within the last 30 days). Lower academic performance (OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.02–5.17), peer smoking (OR = 4.14, 95% CI: 1.53–11.3) and presence of other smokers in the family (OR = 2.77, 95% CI: 1.37–5.64) were the significant predictors of smoking status identified using multiple logistic regression analysis. These findings highlight the influence of family and peer pressure in initiating cigarette use among the youth of Saudi Arabia.
Journal title :
Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal
Journal title :
Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal
