Prevalence and determinants of smoking status among university students: Artvin Çoruh University sample

Background and aimSmoking is still a public health concern in many countries, especially among young adults. Consequently, we determined what factors affect university students’ smoking behavior in Turkey.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted between March and June 2017 using a simple random sampling method. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on participants’ (N = 2,505; mean age = 20.9 ± 2.5 years; 58.9% women) sociodemographic characteristics, cigarette smoking status, and related risk factors. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed with the Backward likelihood-ratio method.ResultsStudents were completing either two- or four-year degrees (45.6% and 54.4%, respectively). Regarding familial smoking behavior, 36.1% had a father who smoked, 10.3% had a mother who smoked, and 15.0% had siblings who smoked. Among participants, 27.9% were current smokers: 46% of the men and 15.3% of the women. Mean smoking onset age was 16.34 ± 2.72 years (15.65 ± 2.67 years for men and 16.34 ± 2.72 for women (p ConclusionThere was a higher smoking rate among our study population, both compared to similar national studies and Turkey’s overall smoking rate. Underlying factors should be evaluated via qualitative studies and preventive strategies should be implemented accordingly.