Evaluation of the Factors Affecting the Smoking Habit and Fear of COVID-19 Among Faculty of Medicine Students

Öz

Aim: Our aim in the study is to determine the factors affecting cigarette consumption in medical school students during the COVID-19 pandemic and its relationship with the fear of COVID-19. Material and Methods: The study was designed as cross-sectional and descriptive, and 293 students studying at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University Faculty of Medicine participated in the study. Questionnaires prepared for the students were delivered electronically, and those who volunteered participated in the study. In the questionnaire, students’ sociodemographic characteristics, smoking habits were questioned, Fagerström nicotine addiction test and COVID-19 Fear Scale were used. Results: 70.6% of the students included in the study were women. The mean age was 21.38±04 years. The rate of current smokers was 17.7% (n=52). It was learned that 7.1% (n=15) of the participants who had never smoked before thought to start smoking during the pandemic. 64.5% (n=20) of the participants who had quit smoking made this decision during the pandemic. Of those who quit smoking, 54.5% (n=12) quit smoking due to existing health problems and anxiety about getting sick, and 74.2% (n=23) were not considering smoking again. The rate of participants who continued to smoke and had low addiction level was 69.2% (n=36). While there was no change in the amount of consumption in 38.4% (n=20) of the participants who smoked during the pandemic, it was observed that there was a decrease in consumption in 34.6% (n=18) and an increase in consumption in 27% (n=14). It was determined that the news, public service announcements and smoking ban did not play a role in the change in cigarette consumption. It was determined that smokers and those who had COVID-19 disease did not change their ideas about smoking. The mean COVID-19 fear score of the participants was 18.71±4.91 and the fear level was determined as moderate. The level of fear of COVID-19 was statistically significantly higher in female participants than in male participants (p=0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the COVID-19 fear level and smoking characteristics and other sociodemographic characteristics (p>0.05). Conclusion: The level of fear of COVID-19 was found to be moderate in the participants, and it was higher in female participants. The majority of students who had quit smoking made this decision during the pandemic. It has been determined that news, public service announcements, smoking ban, and having COVID-19 do not cause any change in consumption among smokers

Anahtar Kelimeler

• COVID-19
• Fear
• Student
• Smoking

Tıp Fakültesi Öğrencilerinde COVID-19 Korkusu ve Sigara Kullanımını Etkileyen Faktörlerin Değerlendirilmesi

Öz

Amaç: Çalışmada amacımız COVID-19 pandemisi sırasında tıp fakültesinde öğrenim gören öğrencilerde sigara tüketimini etkileyen faktörleri ve bunun COVID-19 korkusu ile ilişkisini belirlemektir. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışma kesitsel ve tanımlayıcı tipte dizayn edilmiş olup, çalışmaya Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesinde öğrenim gören 293 öğrenci katıldı. Öğrencilere hazırlanan anketler elektronik ortamda iletildi, çalışmaya gönüllü olanlar katıldı. Anket formunda öğrencilerin sosyodemografik özellikleri, sigara alışkanlıkları sorgulandı, Fagerström nikotin bağımlılık testi ve COVID-19 Korku Ölçeği kullanıldı. Bulgular: Çalışmaya dahil olan öğrencilerin %70.6’sı kadın idi. Yaş ortalaması 21.38±04 saptandı. Halen sigara içen katılımcı oranı %17.7 (n=52) idi. Daha önce hiç sigara içmemiş katılımcıların %7.1’inin (n=15) pandemi sırasında sigaraya başlamayı düşündüğü öğrenildi. Sigarayı bırakmış katılımcıların %64.5’i (n=20) pandemi sırasında bu kararı almıştı. Sigarayı bırakanların %54.5’i (n=12) mevcut sağlık sorunları ve hastalanma kaygısı nedeniyle sigara içmeyi bırakmış ve %74.2’si (n=23) tekrar sigara içmeyi düşünmemekteydi. Sigara içmeye devam eden ve düşük bağımlılık düzeyine sahip katılımcı oranı %69.2 (n=36) idi. Pandemi sırasında sigara içen katılımcıların %38.4’ünde (n=20) tüketim miktarında değişiklik olmazken, %34.6’sında (n=18) tüketimde azalma, %27’sinde (n=14) ise tüketimde artış olduğu görüldü. Sigara tüketiminin değişmesinde haberlerin, kamu spotlarının, sigara yasağının rol almadığı belirlendi. Sigara içen ve COVID-19 hastalığı geçirenlerin de sigara ile ilgili fikirlerinde değişiklik olmadığı belirlendi. Katılımcıların COVID-19 korku puanı ortalaması 18.71± 4.91 olup, korku düzeyi orta seviyede olarak belirlendi. COVID-19 korku düzeyi kadın katılımcılarda erkek katılımcılara göre istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde yüksekti (p=0.001). COVID-19 korku düzeyinin sigara kullanım özellikleri ve diğer sosyodemografik özellikler ile arasında istatistiksel anlamlı fark bulunmadı (p>0.05). Sonuç: Katılımcılarda COVID-19 korku düzeyi orta seviyede saptanmış olup, kadın katılımcılarda daha yüksekti. Sigarayı bırakmış olan öğrencilerin çoğunluğu pandemi sırasında bu kararı vermişti. Haberlerin, kamu spotlarının, sigara yasağının, COVID-19 geçirmenin sigara içen katılımcılarda tüketimde değişikliğe yol açmadığı belirlendi.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• COVID-19
• Korku
• Sigara kullanımı
• Öğrenci

Kaynakça

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