Prevalence of tobacco use and awareness of effects on oral health among secondary school students in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

Background: Tobacco used in various forms has been shown to start as a habit at a young age and is linked to adverse effects on oral health. Those not aware of the negative consequences of tobacco use on oral tissues have been reported to have a higher probability of smoking.
Aim: To determine the prevalence of tobacco, use and awareness of its effects on oral health among secondary school students in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among students from 9 secondary schools in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. A proportionate stratified random sampling was used, and 1084 students were sampled. Each sampled student was provided with a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire about information on the prevalence of use of tobacco, different forms of smoking ever used and awareness of the effects of tobacco use on oral health. Data analysis generated frequency distributions and cross-tabulations using SPSS version 23. The level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: Of the 1084 sampled students, only 1067 dully filled in the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 98.4%. The age range was 13-26 (M =16, SD =1.6) years. The majority of the students were 16-19 years old (59.3%), and the proportion of boys to girls was 1:1. Many more of the students were from public-owned schools (71.8%) and peri-urban areas (66.2%). The prevalence of those currently using tobacco products was less than 1% and contributed to by those smoking cigarettes (0.7%), using tobacco snuff (0.6%) or chewing tobacco (0.4%). The proportion of students reported to have ever used any form of tobacco was 65 (6.1%), with many more having ever smoked cigarettes 46 (4.3%) than those who ever dipped tobacco snuff 28 (2.6%) or ever used chewed tobacco 16 (1.5%). More than three-quarters of the students were aware that tobacco used in any form was related to the occurrence of oral cancer and periodontal diseases.
Conclusions: The prevalence of tobacco use among secondary school children in Dar-es-Salaam is low (<1%) and more so among male students but not determined by type or location of school. The proportion of students who had ever used any form of tobacco was less than ten per cent (6.1%), and many more who smoked cigarettes (4.3%) than other products. The high level of awareness of students on the effects of tobacco use on the occurrence of oral cancer and periodontal diseases can be considered a deterrent to tobacco use and a reduced risk of nicotine dependency among secondary school students.