Attitude of midwife students towards tobacco smoking

Abstract

Introduction: Countless studies have been conducted on the harms of smoking, proving a connection to serious diseases and a negative impact on both male and female reproductive systems (1, 3). Healthcare professionals are role models for patients and their families; if they are smokers themselves, they send conflicting messages to those around them (2, 4). Often, the role models for younger family members are their parents and older relatives, leading to children of secondhand smokers inadvertently becoming smokers at an early age (5).

Aim: To determine students' attitudes toward smoking.

Materials and Methods: Sociological method, individually and anonymously surveying students from MU - Varna, specialty "Midwife," in March 2024. Documentary method. Statistical method.

Results: The conducted research found that 53% of the respondents are smokers. A relatively high percentage of students' parents are smokers—40% for both parents and 20% for one. More than three-quarters of the surveyed students approve of the ban on smoking indoors.

Conclusion: The decision to smoke is a personal choice for everyone, but the example set by family and the environment plays a decisive role in determining role models.