Comparison of common predictors of current cigarette smoking among adolescents: Across South East Asian countries

Abstract

BackgroundThe Southeast Asian countries have about 600 million tobacco smokers within the global Burden of tobacco users. Nearly half of the male population and two in every five females in the South-East Asia Region (SEAR) consume tobacco. 19% (Bangladesh) to 55% (Timor-Leste) of 13–17-year old students tried their first cigarette before their 14th birthday. AimTo assess common exposure variables of current cigarette smoking in SEAR countries among school-going adolescents and compare the prevalence and common predictors within SEAR region. DataGlobal Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) data is used. ResultA total of 37903 school-going adolescents were included in this study from 10 SEAR countries. The overall prevalence of current cigarette smoking was found 13.1% in SEAR. The minimum prevalence is 1.5% in Sri Lanka (2015), and the maximum is 28.9% in Timor-Leste (2013). Adolescents whose close friends offered to smoke were 21.89 times more likely (AOR = 21.89; 95% CI: 19.60–24.49; P < 0.001) to commit smoking than who didn't offer to smoke. ConclusionsCigarette smoking anywhere in the presence of adolescents and their close friend can act as a promoter for adolescents to smoke. So, to reduce current cigarette smoking, efforts should be made to enforce an anti-smoking policy strictly. Media messages should be spreading aggressively to make people aware of current and second-hand smoking. The public health community may also be used to implement the anti-smoking rule in collaboration with NGOs, academia, research institutions, and regional partners.