Investigating the effect of education on the reduction of smoking and nicotineaddiction among students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Background: Smoking is a public health problem and a preventable cause of non-communicablediseases and premature deaths. Today, smoking has increased significantly among developingsocieties, especially among young people, and they are known as one of the groups at risk ofsmoking. Therefore, this study aims to determine the effect of education on the reduction ofsmoking and nicotine dependence of medical students.Method: The present research was conducted in a semi-experimental way in the dormitories of theUniversity of Medical Sciences. ۶۳ smoking students were selected purposefully. The interventionwas conducted in the form of four ۳۵-minute sessions in four consecutive weeks. The researchtools were demographic questionnaire, Fagerstrom questionnaire and researcher-made smokingcessation questionnaire. The samples completed the demographic questionnaire and Fagerstromquestionnaire from the beginning of the research. One month and three months after theintervention, they completed the Fagerstrom questionnaire and the smoking cessationquestionnaire again. SPSS version ۲۰ software was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics(prevalence, frequency percentage, mean and standard deviation) were used for statistical analysisand inferential statistics (chi-square, Fisher"s exact, independent t, paired t and analysis ofvariance with repeated measures) were used to determine significance.Results: In order to compare the degree of dependence, the results show that before theintervention, the average was ۵.۰۲, one month ۳.۱ and three months ۲.۱ after the intervention, andthere was a statistically significant difference (P=۰.۰۰۱). Also, one month and Three months afterthe intervention, the number of cigarettes consumed was significantly (P=۰.۰۰۱) less than beforethe intervention (P=۰.۰۳۳).Conclusion: Based on the present study, education was effective in reducing smoking and nicotineaddiction among medical students in Tehran. Because health behaviors are acquired, therefore, byraising people"s awareness and attitudes about the harms of smoking, it is possible to correctwrong behaviors and beliefs through education and lead them to perform correct health behaviorsand practices.

کلیدواژه ها:

Education ، Smoking Reduction ، Nicotine Dependence