Factors associated with smoking cessation among university students, faculty, and staff in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.
- 1Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Bisha, Bisha, Saudi Arabia.
- 2Department of Emergency Medicine, Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- 3Medicine and Surgery Department, King Khalid University, Saudi Board of Family Medicine, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Abstract
Introduction
Smoking cessation is an important public health priority given the substantial health risks associated with tobacco use. This study aimed to assess factors associated with former-smoker status among university students, faculty members, and employees in Saudi Arabia.Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia, from August 2024 to April 2025. Eligible participants were adults affiliated with the university who self-identified as current or former smokers. Data were collected using a self-administered online questionnaire. Associations between participant characteristics and former-smoker status were assessed using Pearson's chi-squared test, followed by univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Because only 48 outcome events were available, the multivariable model was restricted to four conceptually selected variables, with all categorical predictors entered as indicator variables.Results
Among 533 respondents, 113 were current or former smokers; 48 (42.5%) were former smokers and 65 (57.5%) were current smokers. Overall, 83 participants (73.5%) were classified as having quit or attempted to quit smoking. Being classified as having quit or attempted to quit was associated with female sex (p=0.030), non-daily smoking (p=0.009), and cigarettes per day (p=0.023). In univariable analyses, female sex (OR=4.14; 95% CI: 1.54-11.12; p=0.005) and non-daily smoking (OR=6.58; 95% CI: 2.22-19.52; p=0.001) were associated with former-smoker status. In the adjusted analysis, non-daily smoking remained the only independent association (AOR=5.47; 95% CI: 1.60-18.68; p=0.007). The association with female sex was attenuated and no longer statistically significant (AOR=3.01; 95% CI: 0.97-9.36; p=0.057), whereas neither age nor any cigarettes per day category remained independently associated with former-smoker status.Conclusions
Non-daily smoking was the only factor independently associated with former-smoker status. These findings are exploratory and limited by the single-university convenience sample and the imprecision of some estimates. Larger longitudinal studies using validated measures of tobacco exposure and sustained abstinence are needed to confirm these associations.
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BibTeX
@article{alshahrani2026factors,
title = {{Factors associated with smoking cessation among university students, faculty, and staff in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.}},
author = {Abdulaziz F Alshahrani and Abdullah H Alhalafi and Mubarak F Alshahrani and Saeed F Alshahrani and Aws A Abuliat and Mubarak A Alqahtani and Mohammed A Alharthi and Nawaf A Alsoiry and Mashael O Alsaadi and Mohammed M Alshahrani and Raydaa A Alshomrani and Huthayfah A Alghamdi},
journal = {Tobacco induced diseases},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.18332/tid/231160},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948356},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Factors associated with smoking cessation among university students, faculty, and staff in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.
AU - Abdulaziz F Alshahrani
AU - Abdullah H Alhalafi
AU - Mubarak F Alshahrani
AU - Saeed F Alshahrani
AU - Aws A Abuliat
AU - Mubarak A Alqahtani
AU - Mohammed A Alharthi
AU - Nawaf A Alsoiry
AU - Mashael O Alsaadi
AU - Mohammed M Alshahrani
AU - Raydaa A Alshomrani
AU - Huthayfah A Alghamdi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Tobacco induced diseases
DO - 10.18332/tid/231160
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948356
AB - Introduction Smoking cessation is an important public health priority given the substantial health risks associated with tobacco use. This study aimed to assess factors associated with former-smoker status among university students, faculty members, and employees in Saudi Arabia.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia, from August 2024 to April 2025. Eligible participants were adults affiliated with the university who self-identified as current or former smokers. Data were collected using a self-administered online questionnaire. Associations between participant characteristics and former-smoker status were assessed using Pearson's chi-squared test, followed by univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Because only 48 outcome events were available, the multivariable model was restricted to four conceptually selected variables, with all categorical predictors entered as indicator variables.Results Among 533 respondents, 113 were current or former smokers; 48 (42.5%) were former smokers and 65 (57.5%) were current smokers. Overall, 83 participants (73.5%) were classified as having quit or attempted to quit smoking. Being classified as having quit or attempted to quit was associated with female sex (p=0.030), non-daily smoking (p=0.009), and cigarettes per day (p=0.023). In univariable analyses, female sex (OR=4.14; 95% CI: 1.54-11.12; p=0.005) and non-daily smoking (OR=6.58; 95% CI: 2.22-19.52; p=0.001) were associated with former-smoker status. In the adjusted analysis, non-daily smoking remained the only independent association (AOR=5.47; 95% CI: 1.60-18.68; p=0.007). The association with female sex was attenuated and no longer statistically significant (AOR=3.01; 95% CI: 0.97-9.36; p=0.057), whereas neither age nor any cigarettes per day category remained independently associated with former-smoker status.Conclusions Non-daily smoking was the only factor independently associated with former-smoker status. These findings are exploratory and limited by the single-university convenience sample and the imprecision of some estimates. Larger longitudinal studies using validated measures of tobacco exposure and sustained abstinence are needed to confirm these associations.
SN - 2070-7266
SN - 1617-9625
ER -