Comparison of tobacco use knowledge, attitude and practice among college students in China and the United States.

The purpose of this study was to compare the knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding tobacco use of college students in China and the United States (US). A modified existing questionnaire originally developed for use in the US was adopted. A Chinese version of the final questionnaire was approved by a bilingual panel of scholars. American participants were students at a large Midwestern University, while Chinese participants were selected from a large south-east China university. A total of 2131 usable surveys were collected. Both descriptive and inferential statistical tests were employed in data analysis. Compared with Chinese college students, American students scored higher in knowledge but lower on the attitude scale of the questionnaire. American respondents also were more likely to smoke cigarettes and use other tobacco products. Chinese students, on the other hand, had a higher rate of starting smoking at age 13 years or younger and were less likely to have tried to quit. The findings should provide exploratory information for health educators in understanding tobacco use and its prevention.