Pınar, Şükran Ertekin Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi - Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi - Ebelik Bölümü, Turkey , Cesur, Büşra Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi - Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi - Ebelik Bölümü, Turkey , Bozboğa, Zeliha Burcu Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi - Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi - Ebelik Bölümü, Turkey , Sezer, Recep Erol Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi - Tıp Fakültesi - Aile Hekimliği Anabilim Dalı, Turkey

Smoking and related factors among midwifery students in Sivas, Turkey

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Aim. This smoking prevalence study was conducted to determine the smoking status of the students as a component of a “Smoke-free midwifery Department Project” in the first half of the 2006–2007 academic year at the Health Sciences Faculty of Cumhuriyet University. Methods. All of the midwifery students (131 female students) were included in the study. The response rate was 100% in this anonymous questionnaire survey. Results. Of the 131 female students 17 (13%) were current smokers. The proportion of daily smokers was 7.6% and some-day smokers was 5.4%. There was one student (%0.7) who has quit smoking, 113 students (86.3%) have never smoked. The ratio of smoking quit was low (5.6%). The proportion of current smokers was 2.5% in the first year students, 16% in the second year students, 16,1% in the third year students, and 20% in the fourth year students. The smoking prevalence among the first year students was significantly lower than the prevalence among other students (p=0.04). The proportion of those who had tried smoking was positively associated with age: the higher the age, the higher the proportion (p=0.01). Among the 18 ever smokers, 11 started to smoke before entering the midwifery education. Of the remaining 7 students who started to smoke during midwifery education, 4 did so when they were in their first years. Almost half of the respondents stated toilets as the place where the smoking prohibition rule was frequently violated. Conclusion. The recommendations to “The smoke-free Department Project” were those: the implementation level of the smoking prohibition rule in the school building needs to be increased; the tobacco control education should be continued with yearly evaluations; an intervention program to encourage smokers to give up smoking and support them in their cessation efforts through providing them professional help and reimbursing cessation medications should be added to the project.

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Smoking , tobacco use , midwifery students , smoke , free midwifery department project

Cumhuriyet Medical Journal

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