Prevalence and predictors of smoking, quit attempts and total smoking ban at the University of Turku, Finland.

OBJECTIVES The current study employed socio-demographic, health and lifestyle, and academic variables to assess the prevalence and independent predictors of daily smoking, attempts to quit smoking, and agreement with total smoking ban at university. METHODS Students at the University of Turku (1,177) completed an online questionnaire that assessed socio-demographic, health and lifestyle, and academic characteristics, and three smoking variables (smoking, attempts to quit, agreement with total smoking ban at university). Bivariate relationships and multiple logistic regression assessed relationships between student characteristics and the three smoking variables before and after controlling for all other variables. RESULTS Slightly 1 of the three smoking variables. Age, health awareness, importance of achieving good grades, academic performance compared to peers, study burden, and mother's educational level were significant independent predictors of one of the three variables examined. CONCLUSION Universities need to assess smoking, with specific focus on the modifiable independent predictors that were associated with > 1 the variables examined, to encourage physical activity and pay attention to reduce alcohol consumption and illicit drug/s and daily smoking, whilst targeting at-risk students. University strategies should be part of the wider country-wide effective tobacco control policies.