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
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.
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