CC BY
8Nicotine addiction and attitudes survey at university of physical education
UDC 613.84
Dr. Biol., Associate Professor O.B. Gileva1 PhD O.S. Rogov1
PhD, Associate Professor D.A. Polyak1
Yekaterinburg Institute of Physical Culture (branch), UralSUPC,
Yekaterinburg
Corresponding author: nir@sport-ural.ru
Abstract
Objective of the study was to survey nicotine addictions and attitudes at university of physical education.
Methods and structure of the study. We run a questionnaire survey on a sample of students (n=133) majoring in 49.02.01 physical education discipline. The questionnaire survey was designed to group smokers and nonsmokers with/ without past smoking experiences, and test the groups for awareness of the nicotine addiction health risks, influences of different social/ environmental factors on their attitudes to smoking, motivations, etc.
Results and conclusion. The sample was found to believe that the anti-smoking initiatives should include administrative restrictions on smoking; active campaigning to keep the students informed on the health risks and methods to quit smoking; and social climates with zero tolerance to smoke. The anti-smoking campaigners are recommended to prioritize the following three approaches: zero-tolerance social climates; efficient stress-coping strategies to help smokers; and administrative restrictions with no-smoking zones and regulations.
Keywords: smoking, students, youth needs structure, healthy lifestyle values.
Background. Modern epidemiology and social hygiene give a special priority to the key health risk factors with smoking ranked among the most common and serious ones.
Objective of the study was to survey nicotine addictions and attitudes at university of physical education.
Methods and structure of the study. We run a
questionnaire survey on a sample of students (n=133) majoring in 49.02.01 physical education discipline. The questionnaire survey was designed to group smokers and nonsmokers with/ without past smoking experiences, and test the groups for awareness of the nicotine addiction health risks, influences of different social/ environmental factors on their attitudes to smoking, motivations, etc.
Results and discussion. Only 9 people in the sample confessed smoking, with 5 (4%) and 4 (3%) smoking seldom and often, respectively. Only 16 stu-
dents (12% of the sample) reported former smoking experiences, with only 9 (6%) still smoking. 5 of the smokers reported 1-3-year smoking experiences and 4 yearly and shorter experiences.
Furthermore, 74 people (56%) reported living in smoking environments i.e. being passive smokers; and 59 people (44%) reported being non-exposed to passive smoking. Therefore, more than half of the sample was found exposed to passive smoking, with the active and former smokers being relatively more exposed. 60 (45%), 20 (15%) and 53 (40%) people reported having active, former and no smokers in their families, respectively. This means that 62% of the sample is exposed to passive smoking in their families, with the students' mothers found particularly influential in this aspect [2]. This finding is consistent with our prior data that smoking students more likely than the others have smokers in their families.
ww.teoriya.ru
52 (39%) and 81 (61%) of the students reported having smokers and non-smokers among their friends, respectively - that means that families of the sample smoke more often than friends. On the whole, the smoking families and/or friends were found to provide a strong motivation to begin smoking. Being tested on the responds for smoking, 8 people were uncertain, 4 mentioned smoking friends, 3 academic challenges, and 1 desire to look mature. The question if they know that smoking is very unhealthy was responded positively by 114 (86%) people in the sample; with 14 (10%) uncertain and 5 (4%) non-believing in its health risks. Moderate nicotine addiction was reported by 3 smokers, 1 former smoker and, surprisingly, 1 non-smoker. High nicotine addiction was reported by 2 students, with the others reporting no nicotine addiction.
When surveyed about the nicotine addiction provoking factors, 18 (14%) students mentioned cheap cigarettes (albeit none of the smokers agreed with that); whilst 62 (47%) and 53 (39%) said this factor is likely and unlikely influential, respectively.
Peer influence was mentioned among the strong motivations for smoking; with 66% starting smoking "with the company". In some communities this influence appears less strong - as reported by only 40% beginner smokers at Bratsk Medical College and 39.4% at Tyumen State University. Furthermore, "curiosity" was mentioned by 16% of the sample, whilst some studies increase the share of the first tries for this reason to 21.2% and 73.8%. "Home/ college problems" and "stress" was mentioned by 17% to 30.3% of the sample. And the desire to "look mature and independent" or "change the image" was mentioned by 1% to 9.1%. It should be mentioned that surveys often find no reasons for beginner smoking - thus, some studies report up to 53% of the samples being uncertain on this point [1, 2, 3]. Advertising, TV and works of art were mentioned among the nicotine addiction motivators by 54 (41%) people as likely, 17 (12%) people as very likely and 62 (47%) said they did not believe in such influences.
In responses to the question if the antismoking campaigns in the student communities make sense and effect, 25 (19%) people were uncertain, 28 (21%) people were positive; 47 (35%) said the effect was little if any; and 33 (25%) people said they were senseless. This means that most of the sample is skeptical about effects of the antismoking campaigns, although quite
a few still believe that these efforts are necessary and important. On a more specific basis, the positive part of the sample mentioned the following campaigns as beneficial: administrative measures were mentioned by 48 people (36%); lectures by 14 (11%); fashion for healthy lifestyle by 35 (26%); recreational service by 21 (16%); and the healthy lifestyle promotion initiatives by 15 (11%). Of the smokers, 3 mentioned benefits of strict administrative measures; 3 mentioned fashion for healthy lifestyle; and 1 mentioned the healthy lifestyle promotion, health-improving activities and lectures.
When asked if they are going to quit smoking in the near future, 3 smokers complained it is beyond their control. These were the above individuals that prioritized administrative measures in the anti-smoking toolkit. Mentioned among the reasons to quit smoking were the health risks, smell, financial costs, and belief that the nicotine addiction is enslaving, senseless and draining. It should be emphasized that 5 out of 9 smokers reported past unsuccessful attempts to quit smoking.
Conclusion. The sample was found to believe that the anti-smoking initiatives should include administrative restrictions on smoking; active campaigning to keep the students informed on the health risks and methods to quit smoking; and social climates with zero tolerance to smoke. The anti-smoking campaigners are recommended to prioritize the following three approaches: zero-tolerance social climates; efficient stress-coping strategies to help smokers; and administrative restrictions with no-smoking zones and regulations.
References
1. Andryushchenko I.V., Malinina E.V. Prevalence, behavioral and socio-psychological aspects of tobacco smoking among medical students. Narkologiya. 2012. No. 4. pp. 29-35.
2. Bakhteeva F.R., Zhukova M.A. Socio-psycho-logical aspects of tobacco smoking among students of SSMU. Byulleten meditsinskikh internet, 2013. V. 3. No. 2. P. 297
3. Golenkov A.V., Tavinova N.A. Results of survey of medical college students on their attitude to tobacco smoking. Actamedica Eurasica. 2020. No. 3. pp. 1-6
4. Dresvyankina U.M., Lystsova N.L. Features of prevalence of smoking and vaping among students of higher educational institution. Interna-
62
Theory and Practice of Physical Culture I teoriya.ru I November № 11 2021
tional studentresearch bulletin no. 4, 2018. pp. 378-380.
5. Makunina O.A., Kovalenko A.N., Bykov E.V., Ko-lomiets O.I. Features of prevalence of tobacco smoking and respiratory diseases among sports students in Chelyabinsk. Gigiena i sanitariya no. 97 (9). 2018. pp. 854-857.
6. Rassamagina O.V., Golubkova G.I. Medico-sociological study of smoking students of Bratsk Medical College. Almanakh sestrinskogo dela. No. 1. 2010. pp. 23-25.
7. Sukhareva V.V., Verpatova O.Y Studenty i kurenie v obshchestvennykh mestakh: osobennosti vospriyatiya zapreta [Students and Smoking in Public Places: how they perceive restrictions on smoking]. Chelovek v tsifrovoy realnosti: tekh-nologicheskie riski [Man in digital reality: technological risks]. Proc. V International scientific-practical. conference dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Tver State Technical University publ. Tver. 2020. pp. 189-192.
ww.teoriya.ru
63
