Background: Smoking is a risk factor for many diseases and is the leading cause of preventable death and a major public health concern.
Objectives: The aim of study was to determine the prevalence of smoking behaviors and the related problems among university students in Iran.
Patients and Methods: Having employed a cross-sectional study, 1600 university students were selected from four major universities in the capital of Iran (Tehran) by two-stage cluster sampling. Data were collected by means of an anonymous self-administrated questionnaire.
Results: A total of 1600 participants with mean age of 22.23 ± 3.09 years were included in the study. Of the included students, 62.4% were male and 37.6% were female among which 91.4% of them were single. Given that, the cigarette smoking was reported by 25.3%, comprising 33.7% males and 11.1% females. Also, the mean duration of smoking was 4.79 ± 3.46 years. The results showed that the field of study and type of accommodation were the two leading factors played roles in smoking behaviors.
Conclusions: The rate of cigarette smoking among university students in Iran is very high. The lack of adequate information about burden of smoking related diseases indicates incapability and inefficiency of educational activities on this issue.
Keywords: Smoking; Universities; students; Iran