Características del consumo de cigarrillo en estudiantes de la Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Políticas de la Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, 2023

Abstract

Abstract: Tobacco consumption is a health problem that has gained strength in recent years due to its components, such as nicotine, which causes dependence and addiction, especially in adults and university students, who usually begin their addiction at this stage. This research proposes to determine the smoking prevalence and associated factors in Law students at the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja through a cross-sectional study using a survey applied to 217 students from different career cycles. The researcher performed descriptive and inferential statistics to evaluate sociodemographic variables, consumption prevalence, and associated factors with smoking. 100% of the participating students stated that they had used tobacco at some time in their lives, of which 6.5% consumed at least one tobacco a day. The age of the consumption initiation began between 16 and 20 years. Tobacco consumption was significantly related to certain risk factors, such as having parents and friends who smoke, as well as some particular demographic characteristics, for example, being between 17 and 20 years old, being from the Sierra region of the country, and being single. These findings are relevant to preventive and educational strategies that guide and inform students about the consequences of constant tobacco consumption and its derivatives. Tobacco consumption is a significant problem in the university population evaluated. This study recommends comprehensive smoking prevention and cessation programs focused on students.