Comparative analysis of the prevalence of smoking and consumption of nicotine-containing products and their risk factors among students of medical and technical universities of Saint Petersburg based on data from the PROTECT study

BACKGROUND: Taking into account the importance of quitting smoking of any nicotine-containing products by young people in various social groups, a comparative analysis of the prevalence of smoking tobacco and nicotine-containing products among students of medical and technical universities in St. Petersburg was carried out.

AIM: To compare the prevalence and structure of consumption of tobacco and nicotine-containing products, as well as the smoking behavior of students at medical and technical universities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional cross-sectional study of a random sample of student groups included 1,105 respondents.

RESULTS: The prevalence of tobacco smoking among students at a technical university was 2 times higher than at a medical university (p < 0.01). Cigarette smoking was also more often noted at the onset of smoking among engineering students and in their families (p < 0.05). 17.2% of North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov students and 14.2% of Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI” named after V.I. Ulyanov (Lenin) students consume nicotine-containing products. Men from the medical university smoke cigarettes significantly more often than women, or use nicotine-containing products, as well as a combination of both. No similar gender differences were found at the technical university. Female doctors used ES more often than women from a technical university at the beginning of smoking (p < 0.05). Men at a medical university started using nicotine-containing products more often than women, considering them the least dangerous to health (p < 0.05). The example of friends was the most common reason for starting smoking among respondents from both universities (43.9 and 30.8%, respectively). Common risk factors for smoking any product among students of North-Western State Medical University and LETI were boyfriend/girlfriend smoking, smoking among one’s immediate environment. Studying in senior years was a protective factor for girls at a medical university in comparison with students at a technical university (odds ratio 0.48).

CONCLUSIONS: The data obtained on the lower prevalence of tobacco smoking among medical university students compared to technical students may indirectly indicate the latter’s insufficient knowledge about the harmful effects of tobacco smoking on the body. The high prevalence of nicotine-containing products consumption in universities of various fields of study and the lack of significant differences in the share of their consumers can also be interpreted as an underestimation of the health risks of new smoking products. This requires adjustments to educational programs in order to increase students’ awareness of the potential health hazards not only of smoking cigarettes, but also of using any nicotine-containing products.