The level of nicotine addiction and motivation to stop smoking among young adults – students from the Świętokrzyskie region

Abstract

Background. Smoking affects over one billion people worldwide, and in Poland about 26% of the population. It is a serious medical and social problem leading to addiction and many chronic diseases. Objectives. An analysis of the problem of tobacco addiction and motivation to quit smoking among young adults, and an assessment of socio-demographic determinants of these phenomena important for intervention and prevention. Material and methods. The study included a group of 143 young adults identified as currently smoking from among 600 students from the Świętokrzyskie region. The study included: a self-constructed questionnaire, the Test of Motivation for Ceasing Smoking by Nina Schneider and the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). Results. Strong addiction to nicotine is presented by 17.5% of respondents, and low level of motivation to quit – by 36.4%. Age, gender, place of residence, and health self-assessment of respondents have no connection with the level of addiction and motivation to quit smoking (p > 0.05). More strongly addicted individuals have a lower level of motivation to quit smoking (p < 0.05). Conclusions. Among the young adults studied, the most frequently observed characteristics were those of behavioral addiction. What is worrying, however, are quite numerous cases of strong addiction and low motivation to quit smoking. The basic features of nicotine addiction in the study group are the need to smoke shortly after waking up and a large number of cigarettes smoked per day. The level of motivation to quit smoking depends on the strength of nicotine addiction. Improving the health of Poles and protection against tobacco-related diseases indicates the need to take preventive measures at the earliest possible stages of human life.