Did unprogrammed tobacco control efforts over seven years decrease smoking prevalence in the medical school?

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Medical Education
• Tobacco Control

Background:

• Tobacco use remains a significant public health concern.
• Medical students play a vital role in tobacco cessation efforts.
• Evaluating the impact of tobacco control initiatives on medical students is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess changes in smoking prevalence among medical students over a seven-year period.
• To identify factors influencing tobacco use in medical students.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of existing tobacco control efforts.

Main Methods:

• A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 764 medical students.
• Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards tobacco use were assessed.
• Statistical analyses, including Chi-square tests, Student's t-test, and multiple logistic regression, were employed.
• Results were compared to a historical cohort study from seven years prior.

Main Results:

• Current smoking prevalence was 25.9% (36.6% males, 16.3% females).
• Ex-smoker rate was 4.9%, and non-smoker rate was 69.2%.
• Quit rates were higher in males (6.8%) than females (3.3%).
• Compared to a 1999 cohort, smoking rates decreased slightly (3.8% males, 5.5% females), with no significant increase in quit rates.
• Factors associated with smoking included lower curriculum year, lower knowledge of smoking harms, living in shared housing, easy access to smuggled cigarettes, and use of non-cigarette tobacco products.

Conclusions:

• Limited decline in medical student smoking rates observed despite extensive tobacco control efforts.
• Current interventions in Turkish medical schools appear insufficient.
• Organized and targeted programs are necessary to effectively reduce tobacco use in medical schools.