Smoking Habits of King Saud University Students in Riyadh

Abstract

The smoking habits of 2264 male students at King Saud University were investigated. Thirty-seven percent of the students smoked, and over a half smoked more than 15 cigarettes per day. Cigarettes were the main form of smoking. Most of the smokers knew about the hazards of smoking through the media and wished to stop smoking. Nonsmokers cited religious consideration and nonsmoking parents as the most important reasons for not smoking. A public health campaign is strongly recommended to reduce the prevalence of smoking.Concern about smoking originates from its association with lung cancer, coronary artery disease, and chronic bronchitis. These diseases are still not prevalent in Third World countries, but to prevent a future epidemic of smoking-related diseases, anti-smoking campaigns in these countries should be started. For such campaigns to be effective, the smoking habits of the populations at risk must be defined and this has not been done for Saudi Arabia. Therefore, we have documented the smoking habits of the students in one of the biggest Saudi universities to provide baseline data. Subjects and MethodsA sample of 2264 students was selected by taking whole classes at random from among 25,000 students entered into six colleges (Arts, Science, Engineering, Agriculture, Education, and Administration Sciences) of King Saud University, Riyadh. The Faculties of Medicine and Allied Medical Sciences were excluded because they were included in another similar survey. All these colleges are exclusively for male students. The age range was 18 to 26 years. The participants completed a questionnaire devised by the World Health Organization, consisting of questions on personal background, smoking behavior, and perception of smoking as a health hazard. The questionnaires were anonymous and the information treated in strict confidence. The questionnaires were adequately completed by 2165 students (a response rate of 96%), and the data obtained were analyzed by computer. The chi-square test was used to determine significance.

Smoking Among Females Attending a Health Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

“…This demonstrates how difficult it is to stop this habit once it is established. Other studies in Saudi Arabia 8,11,13 reached similar conclusions. A study from British General Practice 35 reported an annual cessation rate ranging from 5% to 11% following simple advice and educational leaflets.…”

“…The important role of doctors as a source of information on smoking hazards found in this study is inconsistent with other Saudi surveys, 8,12,13 probably because this study was conducted in a PHCC. The limited role of schools as a source of knowledge about smoking hazards was repeatedly found in previous surveys in this country among both the male 13 and female populations.…”

“…In 1991, Felimban 11 showed that the prevalence of smoking was 8.6% and 11.6% among medical and nonmedical Saudi female university students respectively. The figures for male students in medical 12 and other colleges 13 were much higher at 33% and 37% respectively. Besides, in Riyadh 38% of male physicians and 16% of female physicians were current smokers.…”

“…This is in agreement with previous studies in Saudi Arabia. 8,11,13,14,36 Islam considers smoking to be unlawful and undesirable. This concept must be incorporated in local antismoking campaigns.…”

“…On the other hand, financial reasons were not perceived as an important barrier against smoking in many studies conducted in Saudi Arabia. 8,[11][12][13]23,26 Therefore, a policy of great increases in cigarette taxes may help in discouraging and reducing cigarette consumption.…”