Smoking behavior among third year dental students in Latin American countries: prevalence, perceptions, and risk factors

• Autores: Irene Tamí Maury, María Guadalupe Silva Vetri, Maytté Marcano Caldera, Alessandra Baasch, Alexander V. Prokhorov
• Localización: Salud pública de México, ISSN-e 1606-7916, ISSN 0036-3634, Vol. 59, Nº. Extra 1, 2017 (Ejemplar dedicado a: El control del tabaco en América : de la evidencia a las políticas públicas), págs. 45-53
• Idioma: inglés
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  • Objective. To examine the association between tobacco-related risk factors and smoking among third-year dental students in Latin American countries. Materials and methods. Logistic regression models were used to analyze Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS) data. Results. Of 5 605 respondents, 33% smoked and 45% had been exposed to secondhand smoke during the previ­ous month, 34% smoked in school buildings during the past year, and 85% had never received formal training in smoking cessation. Smoking was significantly associated with male sex; Bolivian, Chilean, or Mexican nationality; exposure to secondhand smoke; lacking self-perception of being a “role model” for patients; and not believing that health profes­sionals who smoke are less likely to advise patients to quit smoking. Conclusions. All dental schools should encourage tobacco-free policies and offer cessation services. Cessation training must be incorporated into dental curricula to include dental professionals in the battle against the tobacco epidemic.