Tobacco smoking habits among nursing students and the influence of family and peer smoking behaviour.
OBJECTIVE
This paper is a report of a study assessing tobacco smoking habits among nursing students and how these are influenced by family members and peers.


BACKGROUND
Tobacco smoking among nursing students is a serious problem because of the public role model of these future healthcare professionals.


METHODS
The smoking attitude of nursing students attending the 3 year full-time course at the University of Milan in the academic years 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 was investigated. A total of 820 students filled in the self-administered questionnaire and 812 valid questionnaires were returned. The response rate was 87%.


RESULTS
Forty-four percent of the 812 students were tobacco smokers and 7% former smokers. Among the smoking students 75% had at least one smoking parent, 47% had at least one smoking brother or sister and 87% saw smoking friends.


CONCLUSIONS
There is an urgent need to implement effective anti-smoking measures among nursing students. Decreasing the number of smokers among healthcare professionals would discourage people from smoking and would increase the credibility of anti-smoking campaigns.
Biraghi
Emanuela
E
Department of Public Health-Microbiology-Virology, School of Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Tortorano
Anna Maria
AM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010379:Peer Group; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult