Work

Smoking Trends and Their Short Term Complications in Young Adults

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background: Cigarette smoking is a reversible cause of cardiopulmonary diseases that may, in other cases, cause short-term and long-term complications, including declined aerobic capacity in adolescents. This study aimed to identify the most common smoking trends, associated short-term complications and the effect on aerobic endurance among young adults.Methodology: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in Rawalpindi & Islamabad, recruiting 140 participants (88 males, 52 females). Smokers and non-smokers aged 16 to 26 years were selected through non-probability convenience sampling over 5 months (February-June 2019). The Basic Smoking Assessment Questionnaire (BSAQ), the Modified Borg Scale, and the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) test were used for data collection purposes. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to assess the normality of the data.Results: Cigarette smoking is the most common mode of smoking (25%), while halitosis (bad breath) was the most frequently occurring short-term complication (8.6%). The VO₂ max evaluated via Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) showed a significant difference (p<0.001) in endurance between smokers and non-smokers. Non-smokers had greater cardiovascular endurance than smokers. Conclusion: Smoking is highly prevalent among young adults and is associated with early short-term adverse effects and reduced cardiorespiratory fitness. Also smoking among young adults was predominantly cigarette-based, with a considerable proportion engaging in multiple forms of tobacco use. The findings highlight the need for targeted tobacco control strategies and early interventions to reduce smoking-related short-term health complications in this population.

Source: Journal of Fatima Jinnah Medical University

DOI: 10.37018/opqw8910

Authors: Nashmia Mehmood, Sana Bashir, Syeda Sumaira Batool, Iqra Taj, Maryam Javed Ghumman, Aqsa Tariq

Institution: Foundation University Islamabad

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: $95