The social factors implicated in cigarette smoking in a Jordanian community.
Author: Naddaf A.
Source:
Pakistan journal of biological sciences: PJBS, 10(5), 741-744.
Cigarette smoking is highly prevalent among scholars and university students in
Jordan. The aim of this study is to discover the environmental factors and social
influences that motivate Jordanian students to smoke and to recommend adequate
programs in order to stop adolescents from smoking. A questionnaire of (28) items
was designed to assess students and professor's attitudes towards smoking, the
sample of the study consisted of(851) participants from different levels in a
community nearby Al-Isra Private University. The study also attempted to examine
the effects of the following factors: social status, age, gender, parental
education and mode of spending free time, having parents, siblings, friends and
teachers who smoke. The results show that the proportion of smokers to nonsmokers
was of (33:67). The first cigarette smoked by 65% of the sample, was before the
age of 18 years and 88.5% was before the age of 21 years. The environmental
factors and social influences that motivate students to smoke were related to
teachers and friends behavior. The major reasons to start smoking were to try
something new and Spending free time with friends more than with family. Also
Health disturbances suffered by smokers (fatigue, stress, frustration and
depression) were as two times greater compared to nonsmokers. Desire to quit
smoking among participants were very high and there was a positive correlation
between nonsmokers and high level of education. Desire were greatly negative to
have smoker mate = 93%, smoker children = 96% or smoker friends = 87%. In
conclusion the increased rate of smoking before age of 18 years indicates that
smoking prevention programs need to be started at an earlier age. The risk
factors of smoking onset are subject to modification and families must be aware
of the potential risks of certain ways of spending time and modifying attitudes.