Abstract:

The aim of this study is to examine the situation of tobacco use, which is an important public health problem, in medical students. Our research is descriptive and cross-sectional in nature, which involves investigating medical school students starting to use tobacco in Turkey in the coming period and is currently a prospective study is ongoing foot in our universities. The study was carried out by researchers by face-to-face interviews between April and May 2019, and there were 21 questions in the questionnaire that evaluate the sociodemographic characteristics and behaviors related to tobacco use. The data obtained were analyzed in the SPSS 22.0 program, and numerical values were specified as continuous and discrete numerical values and in percentages. A total of 392 (75%) students were reached out to in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th degrees. The average age of the students was 21.0±2.5 (18-39), and 214 (54.6%) were male and 178 (45.4%) were female. Of the total number of students, 22.9% said that they still use cigarettes or other tobacco products and most of them smoked hookahs. The rate of those who only smoke hookahs was found to be 4.8%. Of the total number of students, 23.7% who smoked or quit smoking stated that they started smoking in medical school. The age at which the students participating in the study started smoking was 17.0 ± 3.2 and stated that they smoked an average of 10 cigarettes per day and spent an average of 150 TL per month. Medical faculty students, who are future physicians, should be adequately informed and conscious about not only cigarettes but also other tobacco products.