Abstract
The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence and factors that influenced smoking behaviours among male adolescents in Kuantan, Pahang. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the form four male students in Kuantan District. Three hundred and twenty three students were randomly selected from eight secondary schools. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to all the respondents. Almost half of the sample was smokers (45.8%) and half of them were Malays (53.1%). Students whose parents had lower level of occupation were more likely to smoke (58.8%). Among smokers, 34.5% of them smoked since primary school and a majority (91.7%) smoked 10 or less cigarettes per day. Half of them (53.4%) reported that they bought loose cigarettes and most of them used their school pocket money to purchase the cigarettes (81.7%). From the multivariate analysis, it was found that Non-Science Stream classes (OR=3.92, 95% CI= 2.10, 7.32), peers' smoking (OR=6.07, 95% CI= 2.32, 15.92), and attitude towards smoking (OR= 21.93, 95% CI= 9.71,49.51) were significantly associated with smoking habit. The prevalence of smoking among male adolescents was considerably high'in this population. It is recommended that antismoking activities in school be carried out regularly and should involve an active participation from the adolescents themselves since peers have great influence on smoking habits.
Highlights
It is well known that smoking is hazardous to the general health and to the oral health
A cross-sectional study was conducted among the form four male students in Kuantan District
The main aim of this study was to identify factors that contribute to smoking behaviour among adolescents in Kuantan District of Pahang
Summary
It is well known that smoking is hazardous to the general health and to the oral health. The smoking prevalence in Malaysia is high especially among men and adolescents [3]. The National Health and Morbidity Survey conducted nationwide in 1996 [4] reported that the prevalence of smoking among male adolescents in Malaysia was 30.7%. The younger the age they start to smoke, the more likely they are to become a regular smoker in adulthood [7]. A report from the US Surgeon General (US Department of Health and Human Service, 1988) states that most people will remain as non smokers if they do not smoke during their high school years [5; 6]. It is important for us to ensure that our adolescents do not start smoking at this critical age
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