title: Knowledge of, attitude towards, and prevalence of tobacco use among dental students in Himachal Pradesh State, India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of tobacco use and knowledge of and attitude towards cessation counselling among dental students in Himachal Pradesh State, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study was conducted with the 219 third-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students in the five dental colleges of Himachal Pradesh during the month of March 2012. The Global Health Professional Students Survey (GHPSS) questionnaire, developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Canadian Public Health Association, was used in this study. The data were evaluated using statistical software and statistically tested with the chi-square test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response was 210 (96%). Lifetime prevalence was 15% for smoking and 2% for tobacco use other than for smoking. Eighteen (9%) students were current smokers and four (2%) were tobacco users other than for smoking. Male students were significantly (P<0.001) more likely than female students to be current cigarette smokers. Approximately 14 (47%) of sometime smokers had smoked on school property and two (50%) of the sometime users of other tobacco products had used those products on school property. As for attitudes, 169 (85%) felt that health professionals serve as role models for their patients and the public. Only 17 (8.5%) of surveyed students had received formal instruction in smoking-cessation approaches during their training and 167 (84.3%) thought that health professionals should receive specific training on cessation techniques.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the current prevalence of tobacco use among third-year dental students in Himachal Pradesh is low, it still needs to be addressed by providing them with the necessary skills and support to quit smoking successfully and to provide counselling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Himchal Pradesh Government Dental College, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India. drfotedar@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Shailee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fotedar
authors.forename: Girish M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Sogi
authors.forename: Vikas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fotedar
authors.forename: Bharat
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bhushan
authors.forename: Baljeet
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Praveen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dahiya
authors.forename: Arjun Singh
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Thakur
mesh_terms: D001114:Areca; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004497:Education, Dental; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D024382:Professional Role; D012737:Sex Factors; D061845:Smoke-Free Policy; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D013335:Students, Dental; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution