A Cross Sectional Study on Self-Reported Tobacco Use and Tobacco Related Behaviour among Medical Students in Goa, India

Abstract

Introduction: Tobacco is a major cause of preventable mortality and morbidity. Healthcare personnel are involved with smoking cessation advice and treatment of patients; their use of tobacco and related behaviour is an important public health problem. Objectives: To determine the proportion of tobacco use, exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke among medical students and to describe their tobacco-related behaviour and attitude regarding tobacco use. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted at one of the Medical Colleges at Goa from July-August 2023.The sample size was calculated using a standard formula based on results of a systematic review, it included 255 medical students and interns selected by simple random sampling. The Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS) was used as the study tool which is specifically designed for knowing the tobacco usage. Results: Among medical students surveyed, 23.5% (n = 60) reported ever smoking cigarettes, with 8.6% (n = 22) being current smokers. Additionally, 7.1% (n = 18) reported using smokeless tobacco. Exposure to passive smoking was prevalent, with 31.3% (n = 80) experiencing it at home and 43.9% (n = 112) in public places, surpassing active smoking. The majority of students expressed support for tobacco ban (78.8%, n= 201), and nearly all (98.4%, n= 251) agreed that healthcare professionals should advise patients to quit tobacco use. While over half of the current smokers attempted to quit in the past year, only 15% received professional assistance in their cessation efforts. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that while a significant proportion of students were exposed to tobacco use, there is a prevailing support for tobacco control measures among them but actual implementation of such measures is lacking.