Health Behaviors Among School-Aged Children: a Cross Sectional Study in Lebanese Private Schools

Abstract

There is insufficient data on health-risk behaviors of school students in Lebanon. The objective of our study is to provide data about the prevalence of cigarette and waterpipe smoking as well as alcohol drinking patterns among school students, focusing on gender differences and searching for tobacco and alcohol uses’ predictors. The dissemination of such information is required in order to promote health and assist the local authorities in Lebanon in designing tobacco and alcohol control prevention programs with a particular attention to youth. Using a convenient sample of Lebanese students, aged between 11 and 20 years, a cross-sectional study was carried out in nine private schools in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. A standardized questionnaire was used for collecting data related to socio-demographic characteristics, tobacco and alcohol consumption, entourage consumption, and health-related behaviors. Additional questions related to the general perception of personal health and life satisfaction, social activities, physical activity and sedentary behavior, school environment, family and peer relationships were also included in the questionnaire. The summary of responses is analyzed using two methods: bivariate and multivariable analyses. Among 1982 participants, 10.3, 16.9, and 42.4 % are cigarette smokers, waterpipe smokers, and alcohol consumers respectively. Higher rates of smoking and alcohol consumption are found out among boys as opposed to girls (p < 0.001). We identified that a significant association exists between tobacco and alcohol consumption based on age, district, socioeconomic status, connectivity with family, family and entourage influence, days spent with friends, drunkenness and binge drinking, energy drink consumption, weight status, self-rated health, electronic media communication, and last quarter average (aOR going from 0.50 till 0.87 for protective factors and inverse relationships and from 1.19 till 5.80 for positive associations). Substantial proportions of school students in Lebanon adopt risky behaviors. Health-promotion activities need to be established in order to decrease the occurrence of such behaviors and prevent deleterious health outcomes.