Smoking Behaviors and Its Relationships with Other Health Behaviors among Medical Students

의과대학생들의 흡연 실태 및 다른 건강 행태와의 관련성

  • Park, Jung-Han (Department of Preventive Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine) ;
  • Lee, Sang-Won (Department of Preventive Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine) ;
  • Lim, Hyun-Sul (Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dongguk University) ;
  • Lee, Jong-Tae (Department of Preventive Medicine, Inje University College of Medicine) ;
  • Kang, Yune-Sik (Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University) ;
  • Park, Soon-Woo (Department of Preventive Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine)
  • 박정한 (대구가톨릭대학교 의과대학 예방의학교실) ;
  • 이상원 (대구가톨릭대학교 의과대학 예방의학교실) ;
  • 임현술 (동국대학교 의과대학 예방의학교실) ;
  • 이종태 (인제대학교 의과대학 예방의학교실) ;
  • 강윤식 (경상대학교 의과대학 예방의학교실) ;
  • 박순우 (대구가톨릭대학교 의과대학 예방의학교실)
  • Published : 2004.09.01

Abstract

Objectives : This study was conducted to examine the smoking behaviors and the relationship between smoking and other health behaviors among medical students. Methods : A self-administrated questionnaire was administered to a sample of 1,775 students from four medical schools between April and May 2003. Due to the small number of female smokers, the characteristics of smoking behaviors were analyzed only for males. Results : A total of 1,367 students (920 males and 447 females) completed the questionnaires, with an overall response rate of 77.7%. The smoking rates for males and females were 31.5, and 2.2%, respectively. Among the male smokers, 70.7% smoked daily, and 39.0% smoked one pack or more per day. Male students on medical course were more likely to smoke daily, and one pack or more per day, than those on premedical course. Male daily smokers desired to quit smoking less than occasional smokers, and 65.0% of male daily smokers were not ready to quit compared with 37.8% of the occasional smokers. Among the male daily smokers, 29.6% were severely nicotine dependent. The most common reason for not to quit smoking among male smokers was 'no alternative stress coping method' (44.4%), followed by 'lack of will power' (25.4%), and 'no need to quit' (19.4%). Compared with male non-smokers, male smokers were more likely to drink alcohol more often and in larger amounts, take coffee more often, eat breakfast less regularly, and be overweight or obese. Conclusions : The results of this study suggest that many male medical students were serious smokers, especially those on medical course. It is necessary to install a smoking prevention program for pre-medical students, provide effective smoking cessation methods for smokers, teach positive stress coping methods, and make the school environment suitable for coping with stress.

Keywords

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