Factors associated with smoking among students: Application of the Health Belief Model

Due to an increase in smoking among students, this study aimed to determine factors associated with smoking using the health belief model (HBM) among students living in a medical university dormitory in Tehran, Iran.
This was a cross-sectional study carried out on a sample of 340 undergraduate students. A designed questionnaire based on the health belief model (HBM) was used to collect data. The Data were analyzed by SPSS using appropriate statistical tests.
About one in four (n = 81, 23.8%) of students were current smoker, 17.1% (n=58) had experienced cigarette smoking, and 59.1% (n=201) were non-smoker. T- test results showed a statistically significant difference in perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits and perceived self-efficacy (p The results showed that health belief model could predict factors that associated with smoking among students. Indeed the model might be applied in smoking preventing programs.