Personal, Socio-Cultural and Environmental Factors Associated with Smoking Among Female Students at University of Lusaka, Zambia
Abstract
Tobacco use is one of the most preventable causes of premature death globally, yet statistics show that there has been an increase of female smokers. Hence a need to understand why smoking prevalence continues despite the overwhelming data on adverse health effects. The aim of this study was to explore personal, socio-cultural, and environmental factors that are associated with smoking among female university students of University of Lusaka. A qualitative case study design was conducted with a sample 12 female students from the University of Lusaka. Snowball sampling was utilized. Female students smoking tobacco were predominantly associated with the desire for personal gratification, to feel accepted by their peers who smoke, to express female independence and freedom and exposure to a male family member who smokes at younger age. Socio- cultural factors such as such as peer influence, family influence and female modernity in society were the major influencers of smoking in the female students, and environmental factors such as the lack of responsiveness to Zambia’s anti-smoking campaigns and a gap in the enforcement of anti-smoking legislation in Zambia also played an indirect role in facilitating smoking among female student. Anti-smoking campaigns could try and consider evaluating interventions from a male and female perspective respectively.All authors who submit their paper for publication will abide by following provisions of the copyright transfer: 1. The copyright of the paper rests with the authors. And they are transferring the copyright to publish the article and used the article for indexing and storing for public use with due reference to published matter in the name of concerned authors. 2. The authors reserve all proprietary rights such as patent rights and the right to use all or part of the article in future works of their own such as lectures, press releases, and reviews of textbooks. 3. In the case of republication of the whole, part, or parts thereof, in periodicals or reprint publications by a third party, written permission must be obtained from the Managing Editor of JPRM. 4. The authors declare that the material being presented by them in this paper is their original work, and does not contain or include material taken from other copyrighted sources. Wherever such material has been included, it has been clearly indented or/and identified by quotation marks and due and proper acknowledgements given by citing the source at appropriate places. 5. The paper, the final version of which they submit, is not substantially the same as any that they had already published elsewhere. 6. They declare that they have not sent the paper or any paper substantially the same as the submitted one, for publication anywhere else. 7. Furthermore, the author may only post his/her version provided acknowledgement is given to the original source of publication in this journal and a link is inserted wherever published. 8. All contents, Parts, written matters, publications are under copyright act taken by JPRM. 9. Published articles will be available for use by scholars and researchers. 10. IJPRM is not responsible in any type of claim on publication in our Journal. .