The predictors of adolescents’ smoking in Egypt, the global youth tobacco survey findings

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study secondary analysed the last Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) implemented in Egypt which is a cross-sectional school-based survey used self-administered questionnaire to research smoking among a national representative sample of (2,141) adolescents aged 13–15 years. The study identified that male adolescents are more likely to smoke than female adolescents in Egypt. The likelihood of adolescents’ smoking in Egypt was significantly associated with age; low educational level of fathers; having no weekly pocket of money; poor self-confidence to refuse friends’ smoking offers; absence of restriction on selling cigarettes to adolescents near their schools; and observing teachers’ smoking inside schools. Whereas accessing information, through schools, about smoking consequences prevents adolescents’ smoking. Adolescence is critical period for experimenting and continue smoking. The study identified some personal, parenteral, and school related factors that influence adolescents’ smoking in Egypt. These factors should be considered in designing smoking prevention program that targets adolescents.