CIGARETTE USE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS STAYING IN DORMITORY AND FACTORS AFFECTING IT: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

Authors : Selen Özakar Akça, Zülkif Dağlı, Abdulkadir Karabulut

Pages : 220-229

View : 33 | Download : 15

Publication Date : 2024-11-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Introduction: The most common reason for starting to smoke is peer influence, and university students may try smoking under the influence of their peers to cope with stress during their adaptation process. Objective: This study aims to determine the factors influencing smoking among university students residing in dormitories and to develop a perspective to ensure that smoking and non-smoking students do not share the same room. Material and Method: The population of this cross-sectional descriptive study consisted of all students at a public university in a certain province. The sample included 645 students who participated in the study between June 6 and July 6, 2024, and fully completed the survey created using Google Forms. Results: The participating students’ 32.2% currently smoke, and 28% started smoking when they began university. The primary reason for starting smoking was peer influence, cited by 85.6% of the students, and 63.2% preferred to have a non-smoking roommate in the dormitory. Conclusion: In this study, it was found that 1/3 of the students were smokers, ¼ of them were already smokers when they started university, the first reason for starting smoking was the circle of friends, and the majority of the students stated that they would prefer their roommate in the dormitory to be a non-smoker. It is recommended that university students should be monitored regularly in terms of smoking addiction, counselling services should be provided, and necessary measures should be taken in student dormitories to prevent negative health behaviours that may develop in direct relation with the environment.
Keywords : Addiction, Cigarette Use, Dormitories, University Students