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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Ratan Singh, MBBS, MD, Family and Community Medicine, Family and Community Medicine, Al Tahady University, Sirt, Libya., Medical Faculty, Al Tahady University, Sirt, (858) 552-86, Libya, Mailud Al-Amari, MPH, Family and Community Medicine, University of Garyounis, 18251, Benghazi, Libya, 091 610 1494, Mailud562001@yahoo.com, and Madhu Ratan, BDS, MDS, Dept of orthdontics, University of Jimma, 378, Jimma City, Ethiopia.

The objective of the study was to study the epidemiology of smoking medical students at Benghazi and its prevention for preparing them effective examples of promoting health life style for themselves as well as for the clients It was cross- sectional study design with a random sample of 50% subjects. A total of 252(M 135 & F 105) respondents returned the protested questionnaires out of a total of 289 contacted during April of 1999. According to smoking status were 26.7% regular, 6.8% occasional and 2.1% ex-smokers among males. It was male phenomenon; initiation between 11-18 years, with an average of more than 16 cigarette per day and an monthly expenditure of 100 USD The main initiation factor was peer pressure or imitation; habit establishment factor was easy availability; perpetuation factor was a continuity of a stressful life More than half had not thought of leaving and more than two-thirds of those who tried did not succeed. The factors in the repeated failure in cessation attempts were lack of will power, craving and lack of medical or social support. Reasons given by non-smokers for primarily keeping away were religious, social and health by the females and mainly health by he males. . There have been no successful programs for primary or secondary prevention of smoking among medical students and other sections of population at Benghazi or the country. Large number of observational and intervention studies were required for discovering cost-effective ways of primary prevention as well as cessation of smoking.

Learning Objectives:

• Objectives of presenting study to the selected section is bring to their attention of growing importance of smoking mong medcal students and its prevention in Libya.

Keywords: Smoking Cessation, Behavioral Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered