Smoking survey of dental clinic patients in the Saudi military hospital.

Author: Al Rumaihi, F., Boffa, J.

Source:
International quarterly of community health education, 17(1), 89-100.
Surveyed 200 male dental clinic patients in Saudi Arabia's only military hospital regarding the behavior and attitudes of both smokers and non-smokers. Of the 200 Ss, 116 were smokers (58%), and 97.4% of them smoked 7 days per week. 66.4% smoked shisha or argilah. Regarding the level of interest Ss had in quitting, 66.4% had a strong desire to stop smoking because of suffering from the habit. However, 80.2% had tried to stop unsuccessfully. An appropriate health education smoking prevention program is then described, based on the knowledge, attitudes, and behavior derived from the survey, as well as existing anti-smoking educational programs in the US.