Work

Smoking status and attitudes toward tobacco control among students in a vocational school in Lanzhou, China: A crosssectional study

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Introduction: Tobacco use remains one of the leading preventable causes of premature death worldwide, and adolescents who initiate smoking early are at a heightened risk of persistent nicotine dependence and long-term tobacco-related morbidity. Smoking behavior among vocational college students, many of whom enter an integrated secondary and higher vocational education system during a high-risk developmental window, is therefore particularly concerning. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of current smoking, to characterize nicotine dependence, and to assess attitudes toward tobacco-control policies among students at a vocational college in Lanzhou, Gansu Province. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a single vocational school in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China. All eligible first- and second-year students who volunteered to participate and provided written informed consent were invited to complete a self-administered, self-reported questionnaire between June and July 2025. Descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests were used to examine associations between exposure variables (sociodemographic characteristics and tobacco-control-related attitudes) and the outcome variable (smoking behavior). Results: Of the 1683 questionnaires distributed, 1365 valid responses from 654 male and 711 female students were retained (effective response rate 81.11%). Descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests were used to compare smoking behavior and tobacco-control attitudes across student subgroups. The overall smoking rate among students was 11.21%, with males (22.63%) significantly more likely to smoke than females (0.70%) (p<0.05). Using female students as the reference category, being male was associated with higher odds of current smoking (OR=41.30; 95% CI: 16.82-101.43). Students with urban residence reported a higher smoking rate (15.76%) than those from rural areas (10.50%), and current smoking increased with monthly disposable allowance (7.19%, 11.99%, and 28.16% for <1000, 1000-2000, and >2000 RMB, respectively). Most smokers had mild nicotine dependence (75.16%), and smoking most often occurred at home (57.52%) and in dormitories (22.22%). A total of 1142 students (83.66%) supported the implementation of campus tobacco-control policies, and 1074 (78.68%) were willing to participate in school-based tobacco-control education. However, only 64.98% considered the current school measures effective, and 142 students (10.40%) considered smoking in public places acceptable. Conclusions: The smoking prevalence among students at this Lanzhou vocational school is relatively high and is strongly concentrated among male students. Given the cross-sectional design, causal inferences and the effectiveness of specific interventions cannot be established. The findings nevertheless identify priority groups and attitudes that merit further evaluation in longitudinal and intervention research.

Source: Tobacco Prevention & Cessation

DOI: 10.18332/tpc/236281

Authors: Lei Sun, Jiayi Zhao, Huayu Zhang, Lin Wang

Institutions: Gansu Finance and Trade Vocational College, University of Reading, Lanzhou University, Chiba University

Language: English

Topic: Smoking Behavior and Cessation

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,617