SMOKING HABIT IN MEDICAL STUDENTS OF AIN SHAMS FACULTY OF MEDICINE

Abstract

Of 7334 medical students representing all medical students in Ain Shams faculty of medicine, Cairo, from the period of October 2000 to June 2001 5066 were randomly surveyed for a study on their smoking habits and attitudes towards smoking.

The following were obtained.

• The prevalence of smoking Habit was 17.64%

• The percentage of male smokers (30.64%) higher as compared with that offemale smokers (1.20%)

• There is an increase in the smoking incidence from the first to the sixth year of the faculty. (15.4%in the first year increased to 20.02% in the sixth year).

• As regards the starting age of smoking, it was found that 65.31% of male smokers and 51.85% of female smokers started smoking at the age 16-19 years.

• The most favorite type of smoking is cigarette smoking however, 50.22% of cigarette smokers smoked Hubble Bubble as well , representing a new trend of smoking habit nowadays.

• Among cigarette smokers 37.9% were mild smokers

(less than 10 cig/day) 41.6% were moderate smokers