Cigarette smoking among school-going adolescents in Kafue, Zambia

Abstract

Introduction: Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of global morbidity
and mortality. Interest in developing countries smoking prevalence has
been growing since 1999.
Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of current cigarette smoking and
associated factors among school-age adolescents in Kafue, Zambia.
Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted using standard Global
Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) methodology. Frequencies and odds
ratios were obtained to assess the association between selected factors and
current cigarette smoking.
Results: Data on current smoking were available for 1872 adolescents,
of whom 891 (47.6%) were males and 981 females. Overall 154 (8.2%)
adolescents were current cigarette smokers, while 93 (10.4%) males and
61 (6.2%) females were current smokers (p <0.001). The majority of the
smokers usually smoked at their own home or at a friend\'s house. Having
some pocket money, having friends or parents who are smokers, and
being exposed to pro-tobacco advertisements at social gatherings were
associated with being a current cigarette smoker.
Conclusions: The traditional factors associated with smoking among
adolescents elsewhere are also associated with smoking among adolescents
in Kafue, Zambia. Public health interventions aimed to reduce adolescent
smoking should be designed with these identified associations in mind.

Malawi Medical Journal Biology Vol. 19 (2) 2007: pp. 75-78