Tobacco Consumption and Its Influence on University Students: Risk of Becoming Daily Consumers

Abstract

Tobacco consumption is a public and social health problem that leads to smoking, this being a relapsing chronic addictive disease, it is the most relevant preventable cause of death, half of those who smoke die from this cause. There are risk factors that influence the start of consumption and its consequences, observing trends in the progress of the risk to become daily consumers; The objective of the study was to relate the risk factors that influence tobacco consumption in university students. Through a relational, observational, cross-sectional study, elaborated through a survey at the University of Guayaquil, obtaining 2600 surveys. The prevalence of consumption was 47.1%, with a higher risk for males. The population of daily smokers was more prevalent (24%), regarding the influence between parents and teachers who smoke, they reflected odds ratios of 0.77 and 74%; there is a statistical association between tobacco consumption and beliefs about health damage, lung cancer, knowledge about safety-frequency of consumption, use of smokeless tobacco with significant p. It is important to make young people aware and influence teachers, parents to persuade them to proceed with respect to the moment of consumption through strategies that allow improving communication where the short and long-term effects on health are explored in detail and are currently increasing. especially respiratory diseases of infectious origin, it is an urgent need to increase the reduction and start of consumption.