Factors Affecting Cigarette Smoking in Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Smoking cigarettes is among the strongly addictive habits and is a prevalent cause of a wide range of diseases. The aim of this study was to systematically review the factors that affect cigarette smoking in adolescents. Methods: Persian and English databases including Google Scholar, EBSCOhost, Proquest, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, PubMed, Scientific Information Database, and IranMedex published from January 2005 to July 2022 were examined by systematic review method due to their comprehensiveness and containing the closest articles related to the subject of the present study. There were no restrictions when searching the electronic database regarding the duration of intervention, type of participants, and place of the study. The key terms searched for were adolescence OR young adult OR youth OR teenagers OR boys OR girls OR children AND uptake AND factors affecting smoking AND adolescent smoking. Results: In the initial search, 803 articles were retrieved from different databases. According to the inclusion criteria in the study and the elimination of duplicate articles, 56 articles were included in the study. The majority of studies were cross-sectional. All studies contained middle and high school students, one study included students, and one study included employed and non-employed youth. In adolescents, different variables at personal, family, psychological, social, and educational levels were considered effective on smoking behavior. Meanwhile, the relationship between smoking and the impact of family members and friends was more prominent. Conclusion: To reduce smoking in adolescents, male students should be targeted before they enter high school.