Smoking behavior and related factors among Japanese nursing students: a cohort study.
BACKGROUND
Although there have been several surveys on smoking behavior among Japanese nursing students, most have been cross-sectional studies. No longitudinal studies, such as a prospective cohort study, have ever been carried out. We therefore conducted a cohort study on, and analyzed smoking behavior and related factors among, Japanese nursing students.


METHODS
A survey on smoking behavior using a confidential questionnaire was conducted on nursing students at two vocational schools of nursing and two nursing colleges/universities located in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Another survey was subsequently conducted in the same manner among the same subjects 1 year later. The surveys were conducted between 1997 and 1999.


RESULTS
Over the 1-year period, the prevalence of smoking among nursing students increased by 10% for students at the vocational schools of nursing (n = 224) and by 3% for students at the nursing colleges/universities (n = 222). The average score for nicotine dependence for students who were daily smokers at both time points rose from 3.6 to 4.4 (P < 0.05). Two factors found to significantly predict smoking behavior were having friends who smoke and living alone.


CONCLUSIONS
Smoking prevalence is increasing among Japanese nursing students. Smoking prevention and cessation interventions should be instituted in all nursing training programs.
Ohida
T
T
Department of Public Health Administration, National Institute of Public Health, Tokyo, Japan. tohida@iph.go.jp
Kamal
A A
AA
Takemura
S
S
Sone
T
T
Minowa
M
M
Nozaki
S
S
D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000639:trends*; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires