Ansiedad y su relación con el consumo de tabaco en estudiantes universitarios

Abstract

University life is frequently exposed to stressors that lead to the appearance of anxiety, for example, academic demands or drastic changes in their routine, which in turn induce the search for ways to cope with their discomfort, such as the consumption of tobacco. Simultaneously, smoking facilitates the manifestation of different disorders, including anxiety, and for this reason, it is considered that this relationship is bidirectional. The aim of this article is to determinate the relationship between anxiety and tobacco consumption in university students. A quantitative approach with a correlational and cross-sectional scope was used. The sample included 112 university students (66.1% female and 33.9% male) selected through a non-probabilistic method. Participants were scored with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Questionnaire for the Classification of Cigarette Consumers (C4). The range of severe anxiety predominated at 35.7%, and regarding the degree of tobacco use the severe level prevailed at 52.7%, for gender significant difference was revealed in the mean scores (men 24.6 and women 17.7) (p=<0.05). No correlation was found between anxiety and tobacco consumption. Considering the results, it can be concluded both variables are not associated, that is, smoking behavior can exist in the presence or not of anxiety, likewise, anxious symptomatology does not increase or decrease smoking.