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Smoking behavior and related factors among Japanese nursing students: a cohort study
T Ohida1, A A Kamal, S Takemura
1Department of Public Health Administration, National Institute of Public Health, Tokyo, Japan. tohida@iph.go.jp
Background:
Although there have been several surveys on smoking behavior among Japanese nursing students, most have been cross-sectional studies. No longitudinal studies, such as a prospective cohort study, have ever been carried out. We therefore conducted a cohort study on, and analyzed smoking behavior and related factors among, Japanese nursing students.
Methods:
A survey on smoking behavior using a confidential questionnaire was conducted on nursing students at two vocational schools of nursing and two nursing colleges/universities located in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Another survey was subsequently conducted in the same manner among the same subjects 1 year later. The surveys were conducted between 1997 and 1999.
Results:
Over the 1-year period, the prevalence of smoking among nursing students increased by 10% for students at the vocational schools of nursing (n = 224) and by 3% for students at the nursing colleges/universities (n = 222). The average score for nicotine dependence for students who were daily smokers at both time points rose from 3.6 to 4.4 (P < 0.05). Two factors found to significantly predict smoking behavior were having friends who smoke and living alone.
Conclusion:
Smoking prevalence is increasing among Japanese nursing students. Smoking prevention and cessation interventions should be instituted in all nursing training programs.