Assessment of the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Students toward Passive Smoking at the University of Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Passive smoking, also known as involuntary or secondhand smoking, is a substantial public severe health concern, leading to illness, disability, and death. The attitude, practice, and knowledge of students towards passive smoking have not been adequately addressed in Nigeria. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the attitude, practice, and knowledge of passive smoking among undergraduate students at the University of Abuja. Methods This cross-sectional study employed a multi-stage sampling technique to include 355 students at the University of Abuja, Nigeria. A self-completed questionnaire was utilized to gather information on socio-demographics, attitudes regarding passive smoking, practice of passive smoke exposure, and awareness of passive smoking. Results Exposure to passive smoke was reported by 60.4% of the participants, 80.6% exhibited a solid comprehension of passive smoking, and most of the participants (98.9%) had a positive attitude towards passive smoking. Characteristics such as level of study and age were identified as statistically significant, showing p-values of 0.000 and 0.001, respectively. Conclusion Our study highlights that even though students at the University of Abuja exhibit a commendable level of knowledge and a positive attitude toward passive smoking prevention, the high prevalence of exposure indicates a significant gap between awareness and practice. Therefore, university authorities in Nigeria should develop educational initiatives to decrease exposure to passive smoke and establish control policies towards mitigating exposure to passive smoking among students in Nigerian universities.