This study was carried out to describe the prevalence of smoking and analyze the affecting factors on smoking among the high school teachers. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was performed among 213 high school teachers working at 6 high schools selected among 37 high schools in Konya randomly between 20 February 2006-30 May 2006. Of 213 high school teachers who participated in the study, 152 (71.4%) were men, 61 (28.6%) were women, the lowest age was 22, the highest age was 60 and the mean age was 41,45±8,20. The prevalence of current smokers was [ (every day smokers 38.0% (n=81) plus occasional smokers 4.7% (n=10)] 42.7% (n=91), former smokers 21.6% (n=46), never smokers 35.7% (n=76), quit ratio [quit ratio is defined as the number of former smokers divided by the number of ever smokers (current and former smokers)] was 33.6%, respectively. The lowest age at starting smoking was 10, the highest age was 40 and the median age was 18 years old. The median value of Fagerstrom dependence was 3 and 73.7% (n=67) was placed at a low and very low addiction degree. When the correlation between smoking behavior and socio-demographic characteristics was investigated, being 15-19 aged was statistically regarded as important to start smoking (X2=47.8, p0.05). There was a smoking room (96.4%) for teachers in the high schools who participated in the research. However, this restriction was obeyed by the rate of 57.4%, and it was sometimes (62.8%) possible that somebody could see the smoker teachers in the corridors of the school. Of the smokers, 65.3% smoked in their houses and 90.6% stated that smoking adversely affected their children.
Key words: Cigarette addiction, high school teacher, cigarette smoking Article Language: Turkish English
|
