A Comparison of Knowledge and Attitude Between Health Care and Non-health Care Undergraduate Students Towards Tobacco Smoking in Penang.

TOBACCO SMOKING COMPARISON BETWEEN HEALTH CARE AND NON HEALTH CARE UNDERGRADUATES

  • Senthil kumar Ganapathy Penang International dental college
  • kamaraj Loganathan Penang International dental college
  • Riddhi Chawla International faculty of dental medicine of Rabat, Morocco
  • Bindu Vaithilingam Penang International dental college
  • Abin Varghese Penang International dental college
  • Tina varghese
Keywords: attitude, awareness, knowledge, prevalence of smoking

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: This study investigated the prevalence of smoking among health care and non-health care undergraduate students in Penang. Further, the knowledge, awareness and attitude levels of the respondents were also discerned. Besides, the existence of any significant difference between the knowledge, awareness and attitude levels of the two groups was also investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY: The population comprised the undergraduate students of Penang. Out of this population, a sample of 162 respondents were randomly selected. Survey questionnaires were given to the respondents to ascertain their prevalence of smoking and their knowledge, awareness and attitude towards smoking. Data was collected and both descriptive and inferential analysis were carried out using SPSS.

RESULTS: There were proportionately less smokers among the healthcare respondents compared to the non-healthcare respondents. Additionally, it was also found that there existed a significant difference between the two groups in terms of the score for knowledge, awareness and attitude towards smoking (t=6.19, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Thus health care students had a lower prevalence of smoking and had greater knowledge, awareness and attitude of the dangers of smoking and were possibly aided by their greater knowledge of the health sciences.

Author Biographies

Senthil kumar Ganapathy, Penang International dental college

FORMER ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

DEPARTMENT OF ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

kamaraj Loganathan, Penang International dental college

PROFESSOR AND HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT

DEPARTMENT OF ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

Bindu Vaithilingam, Penang International dental college

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AND HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT

DEPARTMENT OF PROSTHODONTICS

Abin Varghese, Penang International dental college

LECTURER

DEPARTMENT OF ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

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Published
2021-03-04
How to Cite
Ganapathy, S. kumar, Loganathan, kamaraj, Chawla, R., Vaithilingam, B., Varghese, A., & varghese, T. (2021). A Comparison of Knowledge and Attitude Between Health Care and Non-health Care Undergraduate Students Towards Tobacco Smoking in Penang. UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF DENTAL SCIENCES, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.21276/10.21276/ujds.2021.7.1.8