KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF IRANIAN DENTAL STUDENTS ABOUT SMOKING CESSATION COUNSELING.

Introduction and aims: Today, smoking is recognized as the biggest cause of preventable premature death. dentists can play a very important role in motivating and providing smoking cessation counseling and play this role of line requires gaining sufficient knowledge and education during the student period. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the knowledge and attitude of dental students in Kerman in the field of smoking cessation counseling.

Methods and materials: This study was descriptive-analytical and crosssectional. The study population was fourth, fifth and sixth year dental students. A questionnaire was used to assess participants knowledge and attitude towards smoking cessation, using the 5 As of smoking cessation. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS 21, t-test and chi-square software.

Results: This study showed that the mean score of students' knowledge was 2.13 ± 14.12. There was a significant relationship between knowledge score, gender (women more than men) and the presence of a smoker in the family (P = 0.01, 0.001, respectively). Also, the mean attitude score was 36.25 41 5.41. There was a significant relationship between attitude score, gender (women more than men) and the presence of a smoker in the family (P = 0.01, respectively).

Conclusion: Results of this study showed that the students have good knowledge of the 5As (Ask, Advice, Assess, Assist, Arrange) but that they did not have much information about some parameters under Assess. Also, they have a positive attitude in this regard. Moreover, students believed that time limitations in dental visits and concerns on the effectiveness of smoking cessation consultations are the major obstacle in implementing a smoking cessation plan.