Characterising the Reasons for Smoking and Barriers, Motivators for Smoking Cessation among College Students

Yachana Mageshwaran, Shalini Balasubramanian, Priya M

Abstract: Aim: To characterise the reasons for smoking initiation, barriers to quitting smoking and motivators for smoking cessation among college students. Background: This study focuses on smoking among Indian college students, a pressing public health concern, with 28.6% of young adults in India using tobacco. It explores the reason for smoking initiation, barriers to quitting, and motivators for cessation. Young adulthood is a critical period for behaviour formation, and successful quitting is more likely at the age of 30 to 35. The findings will guide targeted interventions, including stress management and education programs, to reduce smoking rates among college students and improve their overall health, considering cultural nuances and ethical considerations. Methodology: This study was conducted among 390 college students, which includes 242 smokers, this analytical cross-sectional study obtained ethical clearance before screening participants for smoking behaviour and recording basic demographic profiles. The questionnaire consists of three sections: reasons for smoking initiation, barriers to quitting, and motivators for smoking cessation. After structured health education counselling, we aimed at the motivators for smoking cessation, after which the responses obtained were analysed. Result: The study involved 242 participants with a mean age of 22.57 years. The majority were male (76.4%), unmarried (97.1%), and urban residents (63.2%). Among them, 169 (69.8%) reported regular tobacco usage, while 73 (30.2%) reported occasional usage. Initiators of smoking behaviour cited peer pressure (40.1%) and stress (33.5%) as common factors, with other influences like media (5.4%) and parental influence (21.1%). Despite 96.7% having awareness of the harmful effects of smoking, 33.5% found no compelling reason to quit. Barriers included stress relief (24.8%), pleasure of smoking (20.2%), environmental conditions (14.9%), and lack of confidence (6.6%). Previous motivators for cessation included improving personal relationships (29.8%) and physical fitness (28.5%). After structured counselling, 86.8% felt motivated to enrol in cessation programs. Participants believed that constant motivation, improving quality of life, adopting alternative habits (sports, meditation, yoga), and peer support would aid successful cessation. Conclusion: The survey identified significant associations between smoking behaviour and age, gender, education, marital status, and place of living. Peer pressure and stress influence smoking initiation, while knowledge of harm motivates quitting. Barriers include a liking for smoking and a lack of willpower. Tailored interventions addressing these factors can aid in reducing smoking prevalence.

Keywords: Smoking prevalence, Smoking cessation, Smoking initiation