Assessing the knowledge on health effects associated with smoking among advance level students at Diyathilaka Central Collage, Hanguranketha

Abstract

Background: Around 80% of the 1.1 billion smokers worldwide live in low and middle income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest. Tobacco users who die prematurely deprive their families of income, raise the cost of health care and hinder economic development. Most of the individuals who smoke do not know the effect of smoking, some of the individuals even they know the effects of smoking they do not want cease the smoking. In Sri Lanka most common cancer among adult male is oral cancer and second most common cancer is the lung cancer, both of them directly related to the habit of tobacco smoking. Tobacco smoking significantly affect health care cost by its effect on respiratory disease and cardiovascular diseases other than the cancer. In our study we have assessed the knowledge on health effect associated with smoking and we mainly targeted on cancer, respiratory effect and cardiovascular effect.Objectives Objective: To assess the knowledge on the health effects associated with smoking among Advanced level students at Diyathilaka Central Collage, Hanguranketha.Methodology: This cross sectional study carried out among advanced level students in the Diyathilaka central collage, Hanguranketha. Our sample size is 202 and forty-six and data collection was done by the researches. Participants were explained the purpose of the study and assuring the confidentiality of all information to them. Informed written consent was obtained. The questionnaire mainly covers the knowledge on risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease caused by smoking. After completion of data collection, the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) were used for entering, for analyzing and interpretation of data. Significant test is setup as p<0.05 as the significant level.Results: Out of total participants majority was moderately aware about the health effects associated with smoking.100% of students knew that smoking causes cancer. 98.5% students are aware about respiratory effects and 89.1% have knowledge on cardio vascular effects of smoking. Most of them had knowledge about health effects of smoking through teachers (81.6%), parents (77.9%) and through TV (76.3%). 3% of our participants were smokers. There is significant knowledge difference between male and female students but negligible association. (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Generally, knowledge about effect of smoking on the cancer risk and respiratory system effect is good, but knowledge on the adverse effects on the cardiovascular disease is relatively low. Most of the students aware that even passive smoking responsible for considerable health risk.