WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Dr. Jeehan Shaker Hassan*, Dr. Bashar Hashim Abbass*, Dr. Rajaa Sadoon Sachet*

ABSTRACT

To determine the commonest personal and familial risk factors of smoking among medical schools students in Mosul city - Iraq. The study conducted among Mosul Medical College and Nineveh Medical College at Mosul University. A case-control design was adopted in this study which was conducted from 1st of December 2011 to 30th of April 2012, for this purpose 234 participants, 117 smoker students (cases) and 117 non-smoker students (controls), who accepted to participate from both colleges and from all grades were included in the study. Age of the participants ranged between 17 – 28 years old. Data were collected using a special questionnaire form which included information about socio-demographic characteristics of the study population, personal and familial risk factors and smoking habit-related questions. Study results illustrate that peers influence (p = 0.000), presence of household smokers (p = 0.000), jobless father (p = 0.013), higher education of student's mother (p = 0.033), absence of one or both of the parents (p = 0.019) and high monthly income of family (p = 0.029) appeared to have important statistically significant positive association with smoking among the medical schools’ students. On the other hand, daily participation in physical activities (p = 0.000), higher education level of student's father (p = 0.003), housewife mother (p = 0.017), and nuclear family (p = 0.002) were negatively associated with smoking. In conclusion multiple personal, familial and socio-demographic characteristics of students have a role in predisposing medical students in Mosul to smoking habit. The problem need coordinated efforts from the family, school and university.