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Perception and practices of tobacco smoking among medical students in the Nile Delta, Egypt

  • Environmental Pollution: Problems and Solutions
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Abstract

This study was conducted to identify medical students’ perception and practices towards tobacco smoking, as well as to identify factors affecting their adoption to smoking habit, among medical students in the Nile Delta. From December 2014 to February 2015, a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the four faculties of medicine in the Nile Delta. A total of 1715 students were targeted from the 2nd to 6th academic years to represent different levels of knowledge, awareness, and the influence of medical education on their attitude towards smoking. 5.6 and 1.2% of the students reported being smokers and ex-smokers, respectively, with a higher prevalence among 6th-year students, 40% of them reported to be involved with substance abuse. In general, medical students had positive antismoking attitude. The prevalence of smoking among medicine students was not high. However, there is a need to address smoking cessation programs during their study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

    Ibrahim Ali Kabbash

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

    Sameh Magdy Sarsik, Mahmoud Ibrahim Kabbash & Mohammad Rasmy Elazoul

  3. Faculty of Medicine, Menoufiya University, Shibin El-Kom, Egypt

    Aya Abdul-Rahman Hagar

  4. Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

    Nahlah Mohammad Othman

  5. Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt

    Mohammad Fahmy Ismail & Salem Mohammed Salem

Authors
  1. Ibrahim Ali Kabbash
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  2. Sameh Magdy Sarsik
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  3. Mahmoud Ibrahim Kabbash
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  4. Aya Abdul-Rahman Hagar
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  5. Nahlah Mohammad Othman
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  6. Mohammad Fahmy Ismail
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  7. Mohammad Rasmy Elazoul
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  8. Salem Mohammed Salem
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Correspondence to Ibrahim Ali Kabbash.

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Funding

This study received financial support from the Florida International University/NHI lead by the American University of Beirut.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Kabbash, I.A., Sarsik, S.M., Kabbash, M.I. et al. Perception and practices of tobacco smoking among medical students in the Nile Delta, Egypt. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 30839–30846 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9443-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9443-1

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