title: Smoking and drinking habits and attitudes to smoking cessation counselling among Tanzanian dental students.
abstract: The present research was carried out at the School of Dentistry, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess smoking and drinking habits as well as attitudes towards smoking cessation counselling among dental students in Tanzania.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 28-item pretested and self-administered questionnaire was delivered to all dental students enrolled at the end of the 2006 academic year. The questionnaire covered socio-demographics, smoking and drinking habits, knowledge concerning health effects and attitudes towards smoking cessation counselling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dental students enrolled at the end of the 2005/2006 academic year in the School of Dentistry, University of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-reported smoking, alcohol use and attitudes to smoking cessation counselling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 73.2% (109/149) and 76.1% of respondents were male. Smoking was reported by 12.8%, all being male. Alcohol use during the last 30 days was reported by 23.8% and binge drinking during the last two weeks by 11.8%. Both smoking and alcohol use were more common among clinical than basic science students. The majority (67.0%) reported that they had not received education on smoking cessation counselling although 86.2% considered that dentists and physicians should provide such counselling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reported smoking and alcohol consumption are on a low level compared to dental students internationally. Willingness and need for cessation counselling training was expressed by the majority of Tanzanian dental students. This should be taken into consideration in dental curriculum development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Public Health, Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 41, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland. masamitsu.amemori@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amemori
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Mumghamba
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruotoistenmäki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murtomaa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D057566:Self Report; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013636:Tanzania; D055815:Young Adult