Smoking among dental students: consumption and risk factors

Abstract

As the populations of age groups of 16-18 years continue to indulge in smoking as a lifestyle habit, it becomes more important to understand the reasoning behind the same. Therefore, Dental professionals act as the first line of defence towards finding the right solution. A clear understanding of the prevalence of smoking among dental students is necessary in order to understand the attitudes and perspective of such a young adult studying in a dental college. The aim of this study is to analyse the smoking habits among students of dental colleges and try to gauge a deeper knowledge about their outlook. The present study was conducted through a survey-based questionnaire prepares on Google Forms to assess the prevalence of smoking, knowledge and attitudes about the habit of a group of 150 dental college students ranging from first year to internship. Survey data was first collated in Microsoft Excel, and thereafter analysed using statistical methods such as Pivot Table Technique, Subtotal Formula, Ratio Analysis, averages, weighted percentages and mean calculations. It was concluded that a need for a smoke- free campus, stricter restrictions against smoking in campus and counselling for the users of cigarettes is necessitated.