Religious Attitude Associated with General Health and Smoking in Iranian Students

Abstract Background: Given the university students’ model role in the society and the importance of period of university education in selecting behavioral methods and lifestyles in the future have made it necessary to study the smoking pattern and its associated factors and complications amo...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kouros Divsalar, Samira Nejadnaderi, Nowzar Nakhaee, Saed Rouhani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Kerman University of Medical Sciences 2010-01-01
Series:Addiction and Health
Online Access:https://ahj.kmu.ac.ir/article_84526_27f884865bab7540858b52486d0d3747.pdf
Description
Summary:Abstract Background: Given the university students’ model role in the society and the importance of period of university education in selecting behavioral methods and lifestyles in the future have made it necessary to study the smoking pattern and its associated factors and complications among students. The aim of this study was to compare religious attitude and mental health between smoking and non-smoking students. Methods: In this research, religious attitude and mental health was studied in 1065 smoking and non-smoking students of Kerman University of Medical Sciences. In this study, three questionnaires were used (Demographic Questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire and Religious Attitude Scale Questionnaire) which were completed by the student voluntarily. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistic methods, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), t-test, Pearson correlation, and regression coefficient. Findings: The mean age of smokers was 20 years and most of the smokers were male (78.9%), single (86.5%) and in BS or BA degree (52.5%). Most of them smoked a cigarette or more in the past month. The average age of start of smoking was 18 years. There was no significant difference between religious attitude and mental health in smoking students in terms of gender but in non-smoking students there was a significant difference in this regard. Smoking students had lower mental health status and religious attitude in comparison with non-smoking students. Between religious attitude and general health in smoking and non-smoking students was also a direct association. Conclusion: Due to psychological and physiological consequences of cigarette smoking, promoting smoking prevention by religious missionaries and university professors, and helping the students to quit smoking by counselors, psychologists and psychiatrics are neessary. Keywords: Religious attitude, Mental health, Cigarette smoker, Student.
ISSN:2008-4633
2008-8469