Exposição ao tabagismo: análise da prática de tabagismo entre estudantes do centro de ciências médicas da UFPB

Abstract

Introduction: Smoking is a public health threat, associated with enormous social and economic costs. Exposure is a way of disseminating it among the public, which propagates the practice and risks through generations. Objectives: To analyze the practice (exposure) of smoking among medical students at the Center of Medical Sciences of the Federal University of Paraíba (CCM-UFPB), identifying the level of dependence of users and analyzing their socioeconomic profile. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional and analytical study was conducted with students from CCM-UFPB, by filling out a form containing questions related to exposure to tobacco and the level of dependence of students. Inclusion criteria: medical students from CCM-UFPB, adults over 18 years of age, with civil capacity to answer the questions contained in the forms. Data analysis was qualitative and quantitative. Results: Of the students interviewed, 13% stated that they were exposed to smoking, whether active or passive, and 57% had their first contact before the age of 15. The majority (80.2%) stated that they had already seen someone smoking in the CCM-UFPB, and 21% of the sample reported wanting to smoke when faced with stressful situations during the course. Conclusions: Presence of exposure to smoking at the CCM-UFPB and need to intensify health education actions to raise awareness among the population about the harmful effects of this practice.