Why medical students are smoking cigarettes?

Clinical Research Results Abstract Introduction: Medical students, future doctors, should be role model for their patients and have a leading role in combating smoking in North Macedonia where smoking prevalence is among the top ranking - 46% in adults aged 16-64. We analyzed the association of perceptions of medical students smokers with demographic characteristics, smoking status, and desire to quit smoking. Methods: A cross-sectional anonymous questionnaire-based study of students who smoke cigarettes at Faculty of medicine in Skopje, N. Macedonia was conducted in 2021. The analysis was performed using SPSS for Windows 23,0. (Chi-square test and t-test). The significance level was set at p < 0.05.Results: Total of 252 students aged 18-26 years (67% female) have answered the questionnaire. They smoke cigarettes for 4.5 years on average and most of them (62.5%) smoke between 10-20 cigarettes/day, but 187 (75%) have low nicotine dependence (Fagerstrom score 1-4). About 89.2% of the students indicated that smoking relaxes them and 75.3% state that their friends also smoke cigarettes. Smoking gives confidence to 24.7% of medical students, while 19.9% of them smoke because it makes them look more serious. Only 16.7% of students stated that smoking is fashionable. For male students it is more important to look serious (p=0.011), while confidence is more associated with younger age of students (p=0.017). Relaxation effect of smoking cigarettes was associated with more cigarettes smoked (p=0.007). Friends who are smoking, as well as fashionable perception of smoking didn’t statistically influence the decision to smoke cigarettes. Discussion: For male students and younger students smoking cigarettes is important for more serious look and confidence. Most of medical students smoke cigarettes to relax themselves. It is important to work on increase of self confidence and introduce techniques for relaxation other that smoking cigarettes in the first years of Medical studies. Research Idea Abstract Service Development & Evaluation Abstract Declaration of Interest No funding source for this study. References and Clinical Trial Registry Information