RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Smoking prevalence has reached high rates among health professionals. Our study aimed to assess smoking behavior, knowledge and attitudes towards anti-smoking regulations of nursing students. METHODS: In 2013, we conducted a cross-sectional study among nursing students enrolled in private and state nursing institutions of Sousse (Tunisia). RESULTS: In our study, 440 students were selected. The mean age was 22 ± 2 years. The sex ratio was 0.65. The prevalence of smoking was 20.6%. It was significantly higher in men than women (50% vs 4.5%, P < 10(-3)). Strong dependency was noted in 9%. One-third of smokers stated they wanted to quit smoking. Prohibiting the sale of cigarettes to minors and smoking in enclosed public places were the two most mentioned anti-smoking regulations. CONCLUSION: Our rate was lower than those reported in the literature. This result should encourage policymakers to continue actions and ensure sustainability.
