World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

CIGARETTE SMOKING BEHAVIOR AMONGSECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BAGHDAD / RISAFA.

Dr. Lamyaa Ali Hasan*, Dr. Abdul Hussain M. Al-Hadi, Ibaa Abid Ali Essa

ABSTRACT

Background: Tobacco smoking is considered a major public health problem in both developed and developing countries since approximately 4 million people die prematurely from tobacco – related illnesses each year, with deaths expected to rise to 10 million each year by 2030. Objective: To examine factors influencing cigarette smoking among secondary school students and to assess their knowledge and attitude towards cigarette smoking. Subjects and methods: A Cross sectional study was carried out during the period of three months started from the 5th of January to the 5th of April/2007 to study smoking behavior among secondary school students. The study done on 36 governmental secondary schools selected in a systematic random sampling from calm areas in Baghdad/ Risafa, the study include male and female students, academic (general) and nonacademic (Technical, Commercial, Art and Teacher's Institute) schools. Self administrated questionnaires were distributed to 1492 Student (response rate was 99.5%). Results: Prevalence of smoking among secondary school students was 9.8%, significantly higher prevalence found among male (13.5%) than female students (2.6%) and higher prevalence found among nonacademic (13.5%) than academic schools (9.6%). Prevalence of smoking increases with age (higher in more than eighteen years old), and 58.9% of smokers of secondary school students started smoking in age more than fifteen years old, but still 15.8% started smoking in age less than twelve years old. Family history of smoking was higher in smoker than nonsmoker student. Most common cause for initiating smoking was influence by friends followed by reducing tension and anxiety, while most common cause for quitting was that they don't believe in smoking, and so results shows that 74% try quit smoking. Three quarter of students were knowledgeable about the bad effect of smoking on their health and on others and most smoking related diseases mentioned by the students were CA lung, Bronchitis, Atherosclerosis and Heart diseases while other diseases were less known. Conclusion: The study concluded that health education strategies are important since smoking started in younger age group, school smoking control efforts should target parents, teachers and students and should start as early as primary school, government commitment and social support are important if these programs are to be implemented and sustained.

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