Intention to Smoke Tobacco Products among Senior Secondary School Students in Uyo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State

Abstract

Introduction. Adolescence is a period in which many adolescents start exploring certain risky behaviours like tobacco use. Adolescent tobacco use is a significant global public health challenge. This study was conducted to determine the intention to smoke tobacco products among coeducational senior secondary school students in Uyo LGA, Akwa Ibom State. Materials and methods. A cross-­sectional study was conducted among 200 senior secondary school students aged 10–19 from January 2020 to December 2020. A multi-­stage sampling technique was used to select respondents from four senior secondary coeducational schools. Data were collected using a semi-structured interviewer-­assisted questionnaire. Results. Mean age of respondents was 15.3 ± 1.4 years, and 110 (55.0%) of them were males. The prevalence of intention to smoke tobacco products among the respondents was 75 (37.5%). 43 (21.5%) of them reported peer pressure as the reason for their intention to smoke. 190 (95.0%) of them knew that cigarette smoking is harmful to their health. There was a statistically significant association between respondents’ sex, ever smoked, currently smoking, age at first experience, last experience, having a sibling that smokes, having friends that smoke, and intention to smoke tobacco products (p < 0.05). Conclusion. Adolescents with these risk factors should be prioritized by smoking prevention efforts.