Smoking behavior among students in the school of Engineering, a University in the Northern Region of Thailand

Abstract

This research was a cross-sectional study, aimed to identify factors that are associated with the smoking behavior of students in the Faculty of Engineering, 4^th year of a university in the Northern Region, Thailand. A sample size was students 160. Data were analyzed by using percentage, mean, and standard deviation, Chi-square statistics and Fisher's Exact test.

The study indicated that most of the sample were male (73.7%), 22 years old (63.7%) and (100%) of students in grade 4. Stayed the dorm outside from University was (93.7%), and dorm inside from the University (20.6%). Smoking behavior (26.9%), smoking 1-5 cigarettes per day (17.5%), a high level of knowledge and attitudes (73.1% and 56.2% respectively) and smoking learning and habits were at low level (57.5% and 63.1% respectively). The correlation analysis showed that underlying, smoking history, the number of smoking cigarettes per day, knowledge, attitudes, and learning were correlated with smoking behavior in a statistically significant (p-value = 0.001). Besides, gender, age, and money received from parent's weekly average were not correlated with smoking behavior.

In conclusion, smoking behavior the fourth-year students at the Faculty of Engineering,  A University of Northern Region was associated with persistent smoking history, volume of smoke, knowledge, attitudes, and learning. Therefore, institutions should give priority to modify their smoking habits. As well as public health agencies are required to play a role in the campaign to reduce the behavior of smokers to minimize higher education institutions.