Perceptions of Smoking Behaviours and Habits among University Students in Oman

The aim of this paper is to explore smoking behaviours and habits among students at a public University in Oman. An exploratory cross sectional research design was used. 840 students were randomly selected in clusters drawn across nine colleges in the University. A Modified World Health Organization Smoking Behaviours Self-administered Questionnaire was used in 2012. 10.01% of the students smoked, of which 8.69% of the students lived more than 5 years outside homes and had leisure time (8.33%). 14.2% of the students had history of smoking, of which 10.71% have an intention to smoke. There is significant difference in smoking behaviours among male and female, fathers or a family member. Results provide baseline data to develop pro-interventions for smoking awareness and counseling for university students and encourage policy makers to strengthen the policies to curb tobacco products.