Tobacco consumtion in university students entering health sciences schools

Abstract

Tobacco consumption constitutes the first preventible cause of morbi-mortality in developed countries, it is related with deaths due to by lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary illness, isquemic cardiopathy and brain vascularity illness, increasing morbility for these illnesses and other related diverse pathologies; shortening the hope of life and causing important expenses to the country and becoming in a true social problem. This is a descriptive, correlacional study, with transversal observacional design, and had as objective to determine the Tobacco consumption prevalency on university students, referred to some tobacco type consumption, type of tobacco consumed, how many students consume this substance, and how frequently. A 440 students population was studied, coming from an introductory course for new students, in the careers of medical technology, nursing and medicine, College of Health Sciences from a venezuelan university, during the year 2007. A structured survey was used for data collection. It was determined that average age for start of consumption was 14.99 ± 2.67 years. 5.2% of polled students accepted to consume tobacco at present. Most students in this group have occasional consumption, which is an ideal situation for the creation of steady consumers. We suggest educational anti-tobacco programs oriented to stimulate ceasement of tobacco consumption and prevent students to start smoking.his