Prevalence and Determinants of Tobacco Smoking Among University Students in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

Background: Jordan has one of the highest rates of tobacco smokers worldwide. This study aims to assess the prevalence and the determinants of tobacco smoking among university students in Jordan, including sociodemographic and cultural factors as well as knowledge and attitudes towards smoking.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a randomly selected sample of 763 university students from two public universities in Jordan (The Hashemite University and the University of Jordan) in 2024. The participants filled in a self-administered, structured paper questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive and multivariate analysis by SPSS version 30. Statistical significance was set at P < .05 to assess the relationships between smoking behavior, sociodemographic factors, and various other variables.

Results: Of the 763 university students who participated in this study, 561 participants (73.5%) were identified as smokers. Gender, age, and nationality were all significantly associated with smoking. However, GPA was inversely correlated with smoking, as the lowest smoking rate was among participants with a GPA between 3.5 and 4. Stress and the number of close friends who smoke were both identified as significant factors associated with smoking. Even though most participants agreed that smoking is a serious health hazard, this was not significantly associated with the intention to stop smoking.

Conclusion: Our study revealed the widespread of smoking among Jordanian university students. We were able to identify multiple significant associations across sociodemographic, knowledge, and attitude factors. Targeted interventions in universities should prioritize smoking cessation programs, awareness campaigns, and academic stress management with a particular focus on addressing peer-driven smoking behaviors.