Smoking behaviour among nursing students: attitudes toward smoking cessation

The purpose of the study was to assess tobacco smoking habits among nursing students and how these are influenced by family members and cohabitants.

Cross-sectional study. An anonymous paper questionnaire was administered to nursing students of the three-year course of the University of Palermo. Adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) are presented.

301 nursing students (63.12 % female) completed the questionnaire (response rate 61.17%). The average age of the sample is 21.88 years (SD ± 2.80). Considering as a dependent variable: "I currently smoke", the statistically significant independent variables associated are: "Male gender" (aOR 2.09), "Single" (aOR 2.06), "Second year of study of the degree course in nursing" (aOR 0.46), "Third year of study of the degree course in nursing" (aOR 0.43), "Don't think that warnings and pictures on cigarette packs can help stop smoking" (aOR 6.38), "Mother smoked in the past" (aOR 2.25) and "Brother or sister smoked in the past" (aOR 5.50).

Students and graduate nurses need to be aware of current knowledge in the smoking cessation field and they have an influential role in modifying patient behavior in order to assist them to smoking cessation.