Tobacco Smoking Habits, Attitudes, and Beliefs among Albanian Nurse Students

Background. Available information about tobacco smoking habits, attitudes, and beliefs among Albanian nurse students shows some discrepancies and requires further investigation. Material and Methods. Cross-sectional school-based survey using a self-administered anonymous questionnaire in the Tirana Nurse University in December 2012 about tobacco smoking habits, attitudes, and beliefs. Results. Sixty hundred fifty one students (mean age 20.0 years; males 19%, females 81%) completed the questionnaire with an overall response rate of 87%. Current smokers were 19%; of this group, 37% of males and 49% of females were occasional smokers. Among current smokers, males smoked more than females (46% versus 13%; ). The knowledge about smoking was generic; only a part (24%) of students reported having received a formal specific training on smoking related issues. The percentage of current smokers who reported at least one serious attempt to quit was 64%. Most students (78%) reported recent exposure to second hand smoke at home. Most students (84%) were felt to be a model of healthy lifestyle, but only a part (42% of the total) was recognized to have a role in advising smokers to quit. Conclusions. Smoking habits of Albanian nurse students are not higher than those of other European countries and Albanian population of similar age and gender. Our students showed many positive attitudes towards tobacco. Targeted training about smoking related issues should be mandatory in nursing schools. 1. Introduction Tobacco smoking is a major preventable cause of disease and death worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) encourages smoking monitoring and control programmes [1]. Health caregivers’ (HCGs) tobacco smoking is important not only for their own health, but also for their exemplary behavioural role. People see HCGs as models for healthy lifestyles, including tobacco smoking. Moreover, HCGs who smoke advise against smoking less frequently than those who do not smoke. Nurses are the largest professional group among health caregivers and work in close physical proximity to patients with great responsibility for obtaining a smoke-free society. Student nurses’ smoking habits, attitudes, and knowledge have a key role to understand the dynamics of future smoking among general population. The Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS) [2] has been organized by WHO, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Canadian Public Health Association to monitor smoking habits, beliefs, and attitudes of 3rd year HCG students and enhance tobacco smoking control