The influence of environmental factors and education on tobacco smoking among students of the Faculty of Nursing, Medical University of Lublin.

Abstract

Tobacco smoking among medical personnel is a problem concerning not only our country. Nurses and midwives in their work have a close contact with patients allowing influence on their health behaviours. Positive own example is indispensable in this field. Formation of proper attitudes and healthy behaviours should be one of the main goals of academic education of nurses and midwives. The aim of the study was an attempt at analysing the problem of tobacco smoking among the students of the Faculty of Nursing, Medical University of Lublin. The material consisted of 152 anonymous questionnaires filled in by the students in the academic year 2001/2002. There was applied the method of standardized interview using an interview questionnaire. The material was analysed by means of descriptive statistics methods. Women were more prevalent among the respondents (143 persons out of 152), the mean age equalled 29.4 years. The majority were students of nursing (109 persons) and 43 represented midwifery. Twenty-seven percent of all students declared tobacco smoking, 13% quitted the habit and 60% never smoked. The studies proved that medical education and knowledge of harmfulness of tobacco smoking are the main reasons of non-smoking habits of the analysed group of students. The decision about taking up smoking is mostly influenced by smoking peers. This testifies to the need of further educational actions during nursing studies that would promote proper health behaviours in this field.