Prevalence and factors influencing smoking among medical students

Abstract

Background: Smoking creates a severe threat to the public's health that has been expanded worldwide, and it is considered a significant cause of illness and mortality.  Objectives: The study’s objectives are to identify the prevalence and determine the factors that motivate young adults to smoke and perceive their feelings after smoking. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in Sudan during the year 2022 among 243 medical students registered in five educational levels and was chosen based on the criteria. Data was collected via an online questionnaire, analyzed by the SPSS program, and presented in tables and graphs. Results:  The study enrolled 243 participants; 66.70% were male and 33.30% female; the male-to-female ratio was 2:1, as 63.0% in the age group of 27-35 and 37 were between 18 and 26 years. The prevalence of smoking was 18.10% and was found to have a strong relationship with males, while 47.30% were exposed to passive smoking. About 72.7% of smokers stated that they would have been smoking for less than 10 years, 68.18% smoked less than 10 cigarettes daily.