scholarly journals Knowledge, attitude and practice of cigarette smoking among university students in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (9) ◽  
pp. 240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahid Latif ◽  
Junaid Jamshed ◽  
Muhammad Mushtaq Khan
Keyword(s):  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Peer Pressure ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Smoking Prevention ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Jammu And Kashmir ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Significant Difference

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Smoking is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Smoking killed more than 6 million people, about 80% in the developing countries such as Pakistan in 2011. Now it has become major public health issue in the world.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 542 students at University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan from July to December 2015. The data were collected using a pre-tested, self-administered, validated questionnaire requiring information about socio-demographic characteristics, practice and patterns of cigarette smoking, knowledge about its harmful effects and attitude towards smoking control and prevention measures.  </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> The prevalence of cigarette smoking among students was 49.5%. The mean age for starting cigarette smoking was 19.2±2.73 years. Cigarette smoking constituted 61.3% and shisha constituted 18.4%. The main reason for cigarette smoking was peer pressure (35.0%) followed by family influencing (24.5%). About 79.5% of the smokers had intension to quit smoking. There was no significant difference (p value=0.484) between prevalence of cigarette smoking in different faculties of University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The majority of the students (84.3%) knew that smoking is harmful for their health. However, rates of non-smoking students who knew the adverse effects of smoking were significantly higher than that of students who smoke. A high rate of students showed positive attitude towards smoking prevention and control measures.</p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> High prevalence of cigarette smoking was reported among students. There is a need to implement an anti-smoking program among students at University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

scholarly journals Cigarette Smoking Habits among University Students: Prevalence and Associated Factors

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 112
Author(s):  
Junaid Jamshed ◽  
Muhammad Mushtaq Khan ◽  
Zahid Latif
Keyword(s):  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
University Students ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Smoking Behavior ◽  
Peer Pressure ◽  
Tobacco Consumption ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Validated Questionnaire

Smoking is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in the world and is estimated to kill 5 million people each year worldwide. If current patterns of tobacco consumption continue, smoking will kill more than 8 million people each year globally by the year 2030, with 80% of these deaths in the developing countries. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of cigarette smoking among male university students in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 542 male students at University of Azad Jammu &amp; Kashmir in Muzaffarabad from July to December 2015. The socio-demographic characteristics and cigarette smoking behavior of the students were measured by using a standardized pre-tested self-administrated validated questionnaire in English. The overall prevalence of cigarette smoking among students was found to be 49.4%. The mean age of starting cigarette smoking was 19.2 2.73 years. Age, marital status and education were found significantly associted with cigarette smoking behavior (<em>p</em>-value&lt;0.05). The most common reason for cigarette smoking was stress alleviation (35.0%) followed by peer pressure (24.5%). As cigarette smoking is considerably higher among students. There is a need to develop effective tobacco control measures among university students in Muzaffarabad.

scholarly journals Cigarette Smoking Habits among University Students: Prevalence and Associated Factors

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Junaid Jamshed ◽  
Muhammad Mushtaq Khan ◽  
Zahid Latif
Keyword(s):  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
University Students ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Smoking Behavior ◽  
Peer Pressure ◽  
Tobacco Consumption ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Validated Questionnaire

Smoking is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in the world and is estimated to kill 5 million people each year worldwide. If current patterns of tobacco consumption continue, smoking will kill more than 8 million people each year globally by the year 2030, with 80% of these deaths in the developing countries. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of cigarette smoking among male university students in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 542 male students at University of Azad Jammu &amp; Kashmir in Muzaffarabad from July to December 2015. The socio-demographic characteristics and cigarette smoking behavior of the students were measured by using a standardized pre-tested self-administrated validated questionnaire in English. The overall prevalence of cigarette smoking among students was found to be 49.4%. The mean age of starting cigarette smoking was 19.2 2.73 years. Age, marital status and education were found significantly associted with cigarette smoking behavior (<em>p</em>-value&lt;0.05). The most common reason for cigarette smoking was stress alleviation (35.0%) followed by peer pressure (24.5%). As cigarette smoking is considerably higher among students. There is a need to develop effective tobacco control measures among university students in Muzaffarabad.

scholarly journals Harm Perception and Attitudes towards E-cigarette Use Among Qatar University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rana Kurdi ◽  
Hanan Abdul Rahim ◽  
Ghadir Al-Jayyousi ◽  
Manar Yaseen ◽  
Aetefeh Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Smoking Prevention ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference

Background: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use is becoming popular worldwide especially among youth. Research reported that university students have poor knowledge and misconceptions about the health risks of e-cigarettes, which may lead students to use them even in populations where prevalence of cigarette smoking is relatively low. At this age, the influence of peers is also significant. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of e-cigarette use among university students as well as their knowledge and attitudes towards e-cigarettes. Methodology: We conducted a cross-sectional study among Qatar University students using a self-administered online questionnaire. Descriptive univariate analysis of all variables was conducted as well as a bivariate analysis to check the association of e-cigarette use with selected variables. A binary logistic regression was conducted to assess predictors of e-cigarette use. Results: The prevalence of e-cigarette use among students was found to be 14% where 32% of them were daily users. Approximately 42% of the participants agreed that ‘e-cigarettes are less harmful to health compared to traditional cigarettes, and 45.7% of them agreed that ‘e-cigarettes can prevent smoking traditional cigarettes. The prevalence of e-cigarettes use was 16.2% among males and 12.8% among females, which showed no significant difference between the two genders. Females were more likely to use e-cigarettes because they “don’t smell” (P-value=0.023). The study showed a significant association between e-cigarette use and knowledge items (P-value < 0.05) and having a smoker among siblings or friends. At the multivariate analysis level, only the friends’ effect remained significant after controlling for the other variables (OR= 7.3, P-value=0.000). Conclusion: Our research found that university students have inadequate knowledge and misconceptions in regards to e-cigarettes use, especially among users. Effective smoking prevention policy and educational interventions are needed to enhance awareness among university students about the health effects associated with e-cigarettes use.

scholarly journals Smoking Trends: A Cross Sectional Study in Dengkil, Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 19-24
Author(s):  
Aniston Williams ◽  
Siti Fatimah Az-Zahrah Amir ◽  
Muhammad Zulhelmi
Keyword(s):  
Peer Pressure ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Current Smoker ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Smoking Trends

It is estimated that more than 27,200 of Malaysians’ deaths annually are related to smoking. Majority of the smokers start smoking at the early age, smoke more than 15 years and spend less than RM 100 for cigarettes in a month. So, this study aims to determine the trend of smoking among smokers in a residential area in Dengkil, Sepang, Selangor. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Malaysian, aged more than 18-year-old with a combination of stratified, systematic and simple random sampling. Respondents who fulfill the inclusion & exclusion criteria were interviewed using a validated questionnaire and data were analysed using SPSS. The prevalence of current smoker was 23.5% with higher among male (50.7%), single (31.0%) and self-employed (44.1%). Peer pressure plays important role in either to start or to quit from smoking. It is important to increase awareness program primarily in educational institutions such as schools and colleges. Keywords: smoking, trend, prevalence, sub-urban, Selangor, Malaysian.

scholarly journals Prevalence, Risk Factors, Harm Perception, and Attitudes Toward E-cigarette Use Among University Students in Qatar: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rana Kurdi ◽  
Ghadir Fakhri Al-Jayyousi ◽  
Manar Yaseen ◽  
Aatefeh Ali ◽  
Neama Mosleh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Smoking Prevention ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Tobacco Prevention ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference

Background: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use is becoming more popular worldwide, especially among youth. Studies report that university students have inadequate knowledge as well as misconceptions about the health risks of e-cigarettes, which may lead to their use even in populations where smoking prevalence is relatively low. At this age, the influence of peers is also significant. Understanding attitudes of university students toward the use of e-cigarettes is important for effective tobacco prevention interventions. In this study, we assess the prevalence of e-cigarette use among students in Qatar's largest national university, as well as their knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of harm in relation to e-cigarettes.Methodology: We conducted a cross-sectional study among Qatar University students using a self-administered online questionnaire. Descriptive univariate analyses were conducted as well as bivariate analyses to check the association of e-cigarette use with variables of interest. A binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess determinants of e-cigarette use among students.Results: One hundred ninety-nine students completed the questionnaire. The prevalence of e-cigarette use among students was 14%, with no significant difference by gender (16.2% in males and 12.8% in females). In bivariate analyses, significantly fewer e-cigarette users believed that e-cigarettes cause disease compared to non-users. 67.9% of e-cigarette users compared to 37.6% of non-users believed that e-cigarettes were less harmful than traditional cigarettes, and 78.6% of users compared to 40.4% of non-users believed that their use could be helpful in preventing smoking traditional cigarettes. Bivariate associations between e-cigarette use and knowledge items were significant (p &lt; 0.05) as well as having a smoker among siblings or friends. In the multivariate analysis, only having a friend who was a smoker remained significant after controlling for other variables (OR = 7.3, p &lt; 0.001).Conclusion: Our study found that university students have knowledge gaps and misconceptions with regard to the harms associated with e-cigarettes use, especially among users. A comprehensive smoking prevention policy, educational interventions, and quit support are needed to enhance awareness among university students about the health effects associated with e-cigarettes use. Such interventions should also take into account the influence of peers on smoking practices.

scholarly journals AWARENESS OF DIABETES MELLITUS AMONG GENERAL PUBLIC IN SHAH ALAM, MALAYSIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 192
Author(s):  
Muhammad Qamar ◽  
Raiz Rashid ◽  
Sohail Ahmad ◽  
Faiz Ahmad Shaikh ◽  
Nahlah Elkudssiah Ismail
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
General Public ◽  
Standard Deviation Score ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Significant Difference

  Objective: Despite the improved healthcare and frequent community-ridden educational awareness campaigns, the prevalence of diabetes is enormously increasing and 50% of the Malaysian adults with diabetes are still unaware of their disease status. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the awareness of diabetes mellitus (DM) among the general public of Shah Alam, Malaysia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in five urban areas of Shah Alam. A total of 350 participants were conveniently recruited using a pre-validated questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised two main parts, including the sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents and a 24-item Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire. The data were analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Science® using descriptive and inferential statistics.Results: The overall mean (±standard deviation) score of DM knowledge of participants was 11.11±6.09. Among 350 respondents, more than half claimed that medication is more important than lifestyle modification in DM management. 81.7% did not know about the frequent urination and thirst are signs of DM. 82.3% had a misconception that diabetes is caused by failure of the kidneys to keep sugar out of the urine. The knowledge score was statistically significant difference across the categories of level of education, monthly income, occupations, and family history of diabetes.Conclusion: Majority of enrolled respondents possessed moderate level of awareness and misconceptions regarding diabetes and its management. Hence, there is a need for collective efforts toward improving the level of awareness through community awareness campaigns, to improve the self-management of DM.

scholarly journals Comparison of predicted psychological distress among workers between artificial intelligence and psychiatrists: a cross-sectional study in Tsukuba Science City, Japan

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. e046265
Author(s):  
Shotaro Doki ◽  
Shinichiro Sasahara ◽  
Daisuke Hori ◽  
Yuichi Oi ◽  
Tsukasa Takahashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
The Neural Network ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Total Data

ObjectivesPsychological distress is a worldwide problem and a serious problem that needs to be addressed in the field of occupational health. This study aimed to use artificial intelligence (AI) to predict psychological distress among workers using sociodemographic, lifestyle and sleep factors, not subjective information such as mood and emotion, and to examine the performance of the AI models through a comparison with psychiatrists.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingWe conducted a survey on psychological distress and living conditions among workers. An AI model for predicting psychological distress was created and then the results were compared in terms of accuracy with predictions made by psychiatrists.ParticipantsAn AI model of the neural network and six psychiatrists.Primary outcomeThe accuracies of the AI model and psychiatrists for predicting psychological distress.MethodsIn total, data from 7251 workers were analysed to predict moderate and severe psychological distress. An AI model of the neural network was created and accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were calculated. Six psychiatrists used the same data as the AI model to predict psychological distress and conduct a comparison with the AI model.ResultsThe accuracies of the AI model and psychiatrists for predicting moderate psychological distress were 65.2% and 64.4%, respectively, showing no significant difference. The accuracies of the AI model and psychiatrists for predicting severe psychological distress were 89.9% and 85.5%, respectively, indicating that the AI model had significantly higher accuracy.ConclusionsA machine learning model was successfully developed to screen workers with depressed mood. The explanatory variables used for the predictions did not directly ask about mood. Therefore, this newly developed model appears to be able to predict psychological distress among workers easily, regardless of their subjective views.

scholarly journals Prevalence of dysmenorrhoea, associated risk factors and its relationship with academic performance among graduating female university students in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e043814
Author(s):  
Mesfin Tadese ◽  
Andargachew Kassa ◽  
Abebaw Abeje Muluneh ◽  
Girma Altaye
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
University Students ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Associated Risk Factors

ObjectivesThe study aimed to provide an association between dysmenorrhoea and academic performance among university students in Ethiopia. Further, the study attempts to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of dysmenorrhoea.Design and methodInstitution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 April to 28 April 2019. A semistructured and pretested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Binary logistic regression analysis and one-way analysis of variance were performed to model dysmenorrhoea and academic performance, respectively.Setting and participantsEthiopia (2019: n=647 female university students).OutcomesThe primary outcome is dysmenorrhoea, which has been defined as painful menses that prevents normal activity and requires medication. The self-reported cumulative grade point average of students was used as a proxy measure of academic performance, which is the secondary outcome.ResultsThe prevalence of dysmenorrhoea was 317 (51.5%). The educational status of father (adjusted OR (AOR) (95% CI) 2.64 (1.04 to 6.66)), chocolate consumption (AOR (95% CI) 3.39 (95% 1.28 to 8.93)), daily breakfast intake (<5 days/week) (AOR (95% CI) 0.63 (0.42 to 0.95)), irregular menstrual cycle AOR (95% CI) 2.34 (1.55 to 3.54)) and positive family history of dysmenorrhoea AOR (95% CI) 3.29 (2.25 to 4.81)) had statistically significant association with dysmenorrhoea. There was no statistically significant difference in academic performance among students with and without dysmenorrhoea (F (3611)=1.276, p=0.28)).ConclusionsDysmenorrhoea was a common health problem among graduating University students. However, it has no statistically significant impact on academic performance. Reproductive health officers should educate and undermine the negative academic consequences of dysmenorrhoea to reduce the physical and psychological stress that happens to females and their families.

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