Characteristics of College Students Attending the Smoking Cessation Clinic at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study
| Author | AbdulMalik AL Attabi | en |
| Author | Majid Al Rawahi | en |
| Author | Hana AlSumri | en |
| Orcid | Hana AlSumri [0000-0002-9147-6164] | en |
| Issued Date | 2025-03-31 | en |
| Abstract | Background: Smoking cessation clinics provide essential support and resources for individuals seeking to quit smoking. Objectives: This study aimed to describe the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of college students attending a university smoking cessation clinic in Oman, focusing on factors such as age and the motivations behind both starting and quitting smoking. Patients and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study involved 63 college students who attended the smoking cessation clinic between the years of 2013 to 2020. Data regarding sociodemographic and smoking characteristics were collected from the electronic medical records. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out using a statistical software program. Results: The vast majority of college students were male (98.4%), with a median age of smoking initiation of 16 years (range: 8 - 22 years). Most students exhibited high (30.2%) or moderate (28.6%) levels of nicotine dependence, with the most common utilized type of tobacco product being the midwakh (pipe) (79.4%) and cigarettes (60.3%). The primary reason for smoking initiation was friends (66.7%), while health-related concerns were the most common reason for quitting (65.1%). Students from scientific colleges more frequently quit for health-related reasons than non-scientific college students (82.4% versus 46.2%; P = 0.040). Students with low nicotine dependency levels more frequently quit due to social image compared to those with moderate or high dependency levels (47.1% versus 34.8% and 10.5%, respectively; P = 0.050). Moreover, students with low nicotine dependency levels more frequently started smoking out of curiosity, compared to those with moderate and high dependency levels (58.8% versus 9.5% and 27.8%, respectively; P = 0.004). Conclusions: This study provides valuable insights into college students' smoking behaviors at a university smoking cessation clinic. Understanding the reasons behind decisions to start and stop smoking can help inform tailored smoking cessation interventions and campaigns. | en |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5812/ijhrba-159158 | en |
| Keyword | Smoking | en |
| Keyword | Health Risk Behaviors | en |
| Keyword | Smoking Cessation | en |
| Keyword | Nicotine Dependence | en |
| Keyword | Students | en |
| Keyword | University | en |
| Keyword | Oman | en |
| Publisher | Brieflands | en |
| Title | Characteristics of College Students Attending the Smoking Cessation Clinic at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study | en |
| Type | Research Article | en |
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