The study is designed to evaluate the students’ knowledge of AlquwaiyahCity concerning the smoking effects on health.

A cross-sectional community-based study was fervently conducted with data collection through samples were randomly selected from all students enrolled in AlquwaiyahCity, they were 40 students. The survey questionnaires comprising 8 closed-ended questions used.

The study showed that their ages were homogeneous ranged between 17- 23 years; they were distributed among 5 levels. Most students are smokers 40% of them, and 27.5% were co-smoker. This study revealed fair knowledge 42.5%in Alquwaiyah students, most of them don't have knowledge or have reasonable knowledge regarding hazardous substances in cigarette; results reflected a poor knowledge about the smoking effects on health among Alquwaiyah students.

The researchers recommended that emphasizing on healthcare education programs that may lay a great stress on tobacco awareness and cessation among Alquwaiyah students, Alquwaiyah authorities should put strict regulations and policies regarding smoking inside Alquwaiyah schools and universities to protect non-smokers from hazards.

Keywords:Assessment, associated problems, cardiovascular, co-smoker, diseases Alquwaiyah, hazardous substance, health, lung cancer, nicotine.

Background and Significance of the Problem

The foremost reason of inevitable mortality in the world is cigarette smoking; approximately a quarter of the people smokes, and the majority of deaths annually are associated in smoking-related ailments [1]. Prevalence rates have unchanged considerably and in certain cases have augmented notwithstanding community well-being actions to lessen tobacco usage [2].A substantial amount of research concentrated on the acquisition of an enhanced thoughtful of the addictive kind of cigarette smoking in addition to health difficulties [2]. Innovative report may support healthcare specialists to recuperate smoking impediment and termination programs is considerably a remarkable hope. Principal care clinicians, like physicians and nurses, and educated personnel are the frontiers of smoking avoidance and cessation efforts, assumed the huge amount of cigarette smokers who visit prime care clinics or in the community each year [2].

However, a number of smokers in Europe had been decreased; the number of smokers in Africa is increasing rapidly, the situation in Africa now is pre-epidemic [3]. For instance, in contrast to the particular typical populace, studies showed that the smoking percentages are inferior, including healthcare authorities in Great Britain, United State [4,5] and Brazil [6], but superior in Italy [7-9]., Hungary Japan [10], Saudi Arabia [11] and Spain [12].

More so, the absence of substantial explanations to begin smoking is considerably identified. The physique does not necessitate tobacco like the manner that it requires the basic physiological needs. Furthermore, it goes on the resistance when it's being resentful. Therefore, countless individuals discover for numerous attempts to begin tobacco smoking. First-time smokers habitually feel discomfort like lungs and throat scorching and sickness or even throw up for some the initial few times to attempt tobacco use that the poisoning effects occur progressively [12].

The health effects of tobacco are the occurrences with epidemiological investigation has been concentrated predominantly on tobacco smoking, which has been reviewed more expansively than any other type of utilization. Tobacco utilization centrals furthermost generally to complaints distressing cardiac and pulmonary functions, while smoking is being a foremost probability factor for heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and cancer (particularly lung cancer, cancers of the larynx and mouth, and pancreatic cancer [13,14].

All these complications were established because of contact duration and the tobacco dosage level. Likewise, the earlier and the superior level of tar content in the tobacco filled cigarettes ground the larger probability of identified diseases. Smoking escalates the risk of respiratory and other infections and affects the function of the immune system. Approximately, there are 4000 chemicals in cigarettes, hundreds of which are considered toxic.

Usage of Tobacco is a substantial factor in miscarriages among pregnant women smokers; it provides a total of other danger factors to fetus health such as premature births and low birth weight that upsurges by 1.4 to 3 times the possibility of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) [15,16].

Frequency of impotence is roughly 85% greater in male smokers compared with those non-smokers, and it is a crucial reason of erectile dysfunction [17,18]. The consequences of smoking on human health are extremely severe and, in many cases, leads to death. The World Health Organization (WHO) mentioned of approximately 25 diseases is caused mainly by the act of smoking. ⁽¹⁹⁾

This research was carried out to assess students' knowledge approximately smoking effects on health in Alquwaiyah to be aware of the situation, and to make appropriate interventions. This study was limited to assessing the knowledge of students, a study of attitude, and practice was not possible at this stage; as it requires actual observation of smoking relation among students.

Research Objectives

Research Methodology

A descriptive cross-sectional community-based study was executed to evaluate the knowledge ofAlquwaiyah students regarding the smoking effects on health.

Population and Samples

Using a convenience sampling technique, the study targeted forty (40) students who were registered for bachelor’s degree in different Universities and Colleges of Alquwaiyah City.

Research Setting

This study was conducted from the different Universities and Colleges of Alquwaiyah City.

Research Instrument

Designed structured questionnaire consists of eight (8) questions was distributed by post to a convenience sample which 40 samples came from different levels after verbal agreement.

Data Analysis

The data were examined by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences program (SPSS) PC for windows to present the information about students’ age and their level, descriptive statistic was done for demographic variables and their total level of knowledge.

The results were showed through tables and graphs, such as pie and bar charts.

Research Findings and Results

Table 1 - Demographic variables of students in Al- Quwyiayah City in terms of their age, level and status.

Figure 1 – Knowledge of Alquwaiyah students regarding hazardous substances in a cigarette.

Figure 2 – Students’ responses for the effect of the smoking on the lung in Al- Quwyiayah City regarding their knowledge concerning the smoking consequences of health.

Figure 3 - Student's responses for the effect of the smoking on the heart in Al- Quwyiayah City regarding their knowledge concerning the smoking consequences of health.

Figure 4 – Students’ responses for the effect of the smoking to the pregnancy in Al- Quwyiayah City regarding their knowledge concerning the smoking consequences of health.

Figure 5 – Students’ responses considering the diseases caused by smoking in Al- Quwyiayah City regarding their knowledge concerning the smoking consequences of health.

Figure 6 - Total knowledge of students’ regarding their knowledge concerning the smoking consequences of health in Al- Quwyiayah City

Discussion

This is a descriptive-cross sectional community-based study conducted in Alquwaiyah to evaluate the students’ knowledge level smoking consequences on health. A pretested designed structured questionnaire consisting of 8 closed-ended questions was used. Ranking that was used to code the level of knowledge was determined to be standard as: more than 75% "good knowledge", from 50 to 74% "fair knowledge" and less than 50% as poor knowledge for each question.

This study involved 40 students, the age of Alquwaiyah students was a homogeneous table (1), ranged from 17-23 years, and the mean was 1.6 and Std. Dev. was 0.744 showed in the table (1). They were distributed among different levels 45% of them were studying in level 2, 17.5% in level 1, and 15% in level 5 this was showed in the table (1) and they were still young.

Forty percent (40%) of them were smoker, and this is a high percentage, 27.5% were co-smoker, and 32.5% of them they said were never smoke in table (1), and actually most of them were smoked and they said we are never smoke.

The knowledge of Alquwaiyah student about hazardous substance in cigarette was fair knowledge 42%, and 30. % of them has a good knowledge, and27.5% of them have poor knowledge, Figure (1). And these percentages were lower than what had been shown in previous studies. Similar study was conducted in university of King Saud in Abha to assess the student's smoking habits and it's revealed that they were knowledgeable about the effect of it when they were smoking too.

Furthermore, this study revealed that smokers have low knowledge about diseases caused by smoking and co-smoker have highest percent and these differences are statistically significant, P-value = 0.039 at 95% level of confidence.

This study showed that (37.5%) of Alquwaiyah students have fair knowledge about effects on smoking on lung diseases and 32.5% of them have poor knowledge, Figure (2).

Furthermore, the study revealed that 37.5% of students have a poor knowledge about effects of cigarette smoking on cardiovascular system, 30% have fair knowledge, and 32.5% have a good knowledge, Figure (3).

And this study showed that (37.5%) of Alquwaiyah students have poor knowledge about effects on smoking on pregnancy and 32.5% of them have fair knowledge, and only 30% of them have a good knowledge Figure (4).

Furthermore, a study showed that 45% of students have fair knowledge regarding diseases caused by smoking, 35% have a poor knowledge, and 20% have a good knowledge Figure (5).

Finally, the study showed that the majority of participant have a fair knowledge 42.5%, also 27.5% of have a poor knowledge, and 30% of them have a good knowledge, figure (6). University students’ knowledge regarding smoking effects, investigation, including healthcare undergraduates is inadequate and fluctuates in the area, precisely, among medical learners, 26.8% of Chinese ⁽²¹⁾, 35–56% of Turkish ⁽²⁰⁾, 10.3% of Japanese 22.4% and of Italian medical students reported that they had a good knowledge regarding smoking hazards. ⁽²²⁾

Furthermore, in the University of Queensland, Royal Brisbane Hospital in Australia conducted an interventional study to evaluate the smoking-related knowledge and outlooks of senior medical undergraduates, they found their knowledge was drastically superior at post-test (mean unweighted scores of 69% before and 74% after intervention). The study showed affirmative undergraduate manners concerning their function in smoking cessation and doctors have a substantial influence on lessening smoking quantities. Whereas furthermost students professed smoking intrusion to be a judicious endeavor, they continued unenthusiastic concerning the relief with which patients' smoking behavior can be altered. ⁽²³⁾

Conclusion

Alquwaiyah students were assessed; their ages were homogeneous between 17- 23 years, they were distributed among 5 levels. Most students are smokers 40% of them, 27.5% were co-smoker. Since Alquwaiyah students have a poor knowledge about the effects of smoking on the lungs, and heart, and pregnancy, most of them didn’t have knowledge nor had fair knowledge concerning hazardous substances in a cigarette, associated problems and diseases caused by smoking. In conclusion, these results are reflecting a fair knowledge about the smoking effects on health among Alquwaiyah students.

Recommendations

The researcher recommended that

References

http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/report/fullreport.pdf. Retrieved 2009-02-15.