[Smoking habits, attitudes and smoking cessation among sixth-year medical students of Kaunas University of Medicine].
The aim of the study was to assess trends of smoking and the relation between smoking behavior of undergraduate medical students and their attitudes towards smoking and treatment of tobacco dependence.


METHODS
Data were collected from sixth-year medical students of Kaunas University of Medicine during ten consecutive years. A total of 1518 students completed the anonymous questionnaire; response rate was 83.5%.


RESULTS
The daily smoking rate was 19.4% in males and 4.2% in females; 15.9% and 10.4% respectively were irregular smokers, never smoked 41.6% of males and 64% of females. 70% of smokers and 83% of nonsmokers agreed that tobacco smoking is one of the greatest health hazards of modern times; 97.1% of all students considered passive smoking as harmful. More nonsmokers (70%) than smokers (5l%) were aware of addictive nature of tobacco, but there was a little difference in their opinion about support to smokers for quitting: 83.2% of smokers and 87.1% of nonsmokers stated that medical doctors should help smokers to give up smoking and 68% of them thought that doctors had not enough knowledge how to help. Less smokers (55%) than nonsmokers (87%) believed that smoking should be banned in hospitals.


CONCLUSIONS
Prevalence of smoking was significantly lower among medical students than in general population. There were no significant changes in smoking prevalence among male medical students during the period of 1995-2004. At the same time smoking prevalence among female medical students increased more than twice. Attitudes of smokers and nonsmokers were significantly different on most items of tobacco, but knowledge of tobacco problem in the undergraduate students was not sufficient. Teaching about tobacco and related issues remains essential in the undergraduate medical course.
Veryga
Aurelijus
A
Institute for Biomedical Research, Kaunas University of Medicine, Kaunas, Lithuania. aurel@centras.lt
Stanikas
Tomas
T
D001294:Attitude to Health; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008097:Lithuania / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires