Prevalence of smoking among Taif University female students and its impact on academic performance

Volume : VII, Issue : V, May - 2018

Dr. Daniyah A. Sabri, Dr . Fawaz S. Alotaibi

The Saudi Arabian culture is based on Islamic Shari‘ah rules, in which tobacco smoking is considered unacceptable behavior among both sexes but

is deemed more unacceptable among women.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of different types of smoking among female University students in Taif, 2015–2016 as well as to explore

the association between smoking and their demographic characteristics and identify the impact of smoking on students` academic performance.

Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out including randomly selected sample of regulate attending female Taif University students in the

academic year 2015–2016 representing both scientific and literature colleges. Self–administered Global Adult Tobacco questionnaire, 2011

(GATS) was utilized to determine prevalence, knowledge and attitude of smoking among participants.

Results: The prevalence of current smoking was 13.4% whereas the prevalence of smoking (current and formal) among them was 16.1%.

Regarding type of smoking, 50% of smokers claimed that they smoked water pipes (Shisha) and 40.6% smoked cigareetes while the remaining

9.4% smoked both. Students` academic performance was significaly associated with history of current smoking as 19% of students with fair

performance compared to 7.8% and 3.1% of those whose academic performance were very good or excellent, respectively were current smokers,

p=0.026. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that female students who had at least one smoker family member were more likely to be

current smoker compared to those without any smoker family member (aOR=2.98; 95% CI=1.12–7.96, p<0.05).

Conclusions: Smoking is considerably prevalent (13.4%) among female students of Taif University. The amount of water–pipe smoking among the

female smokers was higher than that of cigarette smoking. Smoking had a negative effect on students` academic performance. Among important

factors influencing the participants to smoke was the presence of a smoker in the family particularly mother and sister and having peer smokers.