Comparison of Dental Students’ Tobacco Use at Chiang Mai University in Academic Years 2005 and 2011 using the Global Health Professions Student Survey
Objective: This study aimed to compare tobacco use in two academic years, 2005 and 2011, by dental students at Chiang Mai University using the Global Health Professions Student Survey.
Materials and methods: Two cross-sectional surveys of all dental undergraduates were conducted in academic years 2005 and 2011. A Thai language version of the self-reporting form of the Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS) was used to collect data during January and February in 2006 and 2012. SPSS version 17.0 and OpenEpi version 2.3 were used to compute prevalence and 95% confidence intervals. Statistical analysis and comparison were carried out using the Chi-square test and were considered statistically significant at a p-value of less than 0.05.
Results: In 2005, 354 students (81.8 %) and in 2011, 530 students (86.9%) completed questionnaires. The results illustrated tobacco use trends in dental students in terms of (1) tobacco use (behavior), (2) exposure to secondhand smoke in the past week, (3) attitudes toward banning smoking in public places, (4) opinion about health professional roles and the effect of patient counseling by health professionals and (5) learning experiences on smoking topics in dental school. These five trends of tobacco use were compared between academic year 2005 and 2011. All categories of tobacco use (behavior) declined. The exposure to secondhand smoke both at home and in public places increased. There was an increase in positive attitudes toward banning smoking in public places. The students in 2011 were more concerned about their roles than in 2005. The students’ learning experiences on smoking topics in dental school significantly increased.
Conclusions: Tobacco use by dental students at Chiang Mai University revealed changes, both in favourable and unfavourable trends.
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