TOBACCO CONSUMPTION AND ITS EFFECT ON EATING BEHAVIOR AMONG BIOLOGY STUDENTS

Objectives. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of tobacco consumption, the eating behavior and the socio-economic status among biology students at the Faculty of Natural and Life sciences, University of Tiaret, Algeria during 2019-2020 academic year. Methods. A cross-sectional, anonymous questionnaire-based study of 152 students selected randomly was conducted. Results. The Overall smoking prevalence among participated students was 40.46%. About 55% of male tobacco users smoke 14 cigarettes daily. Most girls smoke occasionally. The majority of males started smoking at the age of 16. The largest portion of students depended on one or both parents for their income. In terms of diet, students consumed largely foods rich in sugar. In addition, most smokers want to quit because it is dangerous for health. From our survey, it was noted that 73.58% of consumer and 53.82% of non-consumer take the breakfast every day. Conclusion. We must intensify efforts to prevent students from starting smoking by raising awareness of its health risks.