Epidemilogy of cigarette smoking among male students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Background:

Cigarette smoking can cause various physical, mental , financial and social damages to the health of human beings. Cigarette smoking is known as one of the most important risk factors of noninfectious diseases . This study was conducted to assess the prevalence and to evaluate cigarette smoking and its etiology in male students of Jundishapur medical Sciences university.

Material and methods:

This descrptive analytical study was done on Jndishapur university male students. A total

numbdr of 745 students were selected via proportional stratified random sampling from Jundishapur

university in 2007. Data collection was net by a questionnaire . The obtained data was statistically analyzed by SPSS software using chi square test at the significant level ( <0.05).

Results:

Overall , 745 caseswere studied ; out of which 19.4%were smokers and 44.1%had experienced

cigarette smoking . Data showed that there was significant relationship between smoking in samples and having smoker friends and family smoker members (P<0.05). There was signifacant relationship between smoking and demogrphic variables such as father and mother literacy, family size and birth rank (P<0.05) . The most important cause of proneness to smoking was curiosity.