Correlates Of Current Use Research Articles

Current tobacco use and susceptibility to using tobacco among non-users of tobacco: A cross-sectional study among school-going adolescents in Sierra Leone.

Tobacco use is a global health threat associated with a high disease burden and death. Current tobacco use and susceptibility to using tobacco products among adolescents who are potential adult tobacco users have not been explored in Sierra Leone. Thus, we aimed to estimate the prevalence and correlates of current tobacco use and tobacco non-users susceptibility to using tobacco amongst high school students in Sierra Leone. We used data obtained from the 2017 Sierra Leone Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), which presented information collected from 6680 students aged 11-17 years nationwide. Gender-based correlates of current use and susceptibility to using tobacco among non-tobacco users were determined by complex sample logistic regression analyses. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs) are reported. A p<0.05 was considered significant. The prevalence of current tobacco use among high school adolescents in Sierra Leone was 24.6%, higher in males (27.9%) than in females (18.6%). Male (AOR=1.50; 95% CI: 1.18-1.91), parental smoking (AOR=1.73; 95% CI: 1.32-2.26) exposure to household secondhand smoke (AOR=1.82; 95% CI: 1.27-2.62), having peers who smoke (AOR=2.24; 95% CI: 1.51-3.31) were more likely to be currently using tobacco. The overall tobacco non-users susceptibility to using tobacco among adolescents in Sierra Leone was 18.2% (males 18.0%, females 18.5%). Exposure to tobacco promotion (AOR=1.50; 95% CI: 1.06-2.10) and non-exposure to anti-smoking education (AOR=1.39; 95% CI: 1.05-1.86) were significantly associated with tobacco non-users' susceptibility to using tobacco. Our study suggests that one in four school-going adolescents currently uses tobacco, with nearly one in five non-users susceptible to using tobacco. Given the high prevalence of tobacco product use among adults in Sierra Leone, our findings highlight the need for policies and interventions to prevent tobacco use behavior among adolescents, aimed at averting tobacco use in adulthood.

Educational status and other socio-demographic correlates of current use of psychoactive substance among Nigerian adolescents

Background: The spate of psychoactive substance use is unprecedented. The determination of associated factors will be critical to tackling this menace. However, most studies were conducted in school which would have excluded the population of out-ofschool children. Thus, this studyassessed the correlates of adolescents’ psychoactive substance use at the community level.Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted among 500 adolescents (258 male and 242 female) in Ilorin West LGA between December 2016 and October 2017. A stratified multistage sampling technique was used for subject selection and a pretested WHO substance use questionnaire wasused to collect data. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were employed to identify the predictors of substance use.Results: The lifetime prevalence of psychoactive substance use is 43.4% while the prevalence of current use is 31.2%. The most commonly used substances were stimulants (caffeine); 14.4%, codeine- containing cough syrup; 10.4% and alcohol; 10.2%. Socioeconomic class and the use of substances by friends were predictors of current use. The current use of alcohol and opiates is significantly higher among in-school subjects (p = 0.001, 0.042). Current use of cannabis, alcohol, hallucinogen, cocaine, correlated positively with educational status of respondents in school.Conclusions: The current use rate of psychoactive substance is high among the adolescents with socioeconomic class, use of substance by friends and educational status as its predictors. Urgent multipronged measures are therefore, crucial to curb this trend. Keywords: Psychoactive substances, Adolescents, current use, lifetime use, educational status

Two-year trends and predictors of e-cigarette use in 27 European Union member states

ObjectiveThis study assessed changes in levels of ever use, perceptions of harm from e-cigarettes and sociodemographic correlates of use among European Union (EU) adults during 2012–2014, as well as determinants...

Prevalence and correlates of tobacco use among middle and high school students in western Alaska

Objectives. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States and contributes to increased incidence, morbidity and mortality from cancer, heart disease, stroke, complications of pregnancy and respiratory illness. Tobacco use rates are highest among American Indians and Alaska Natives. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of tobacco use among youth residing in rural western Alaska.Study design. Data were analysed from the 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) administered to a regional sample of adolescents attending school in western Alaska.Methods. Data were analysed from 260 middle school (52% female, 87% Alaska Native) and 258 high school (48% female, 93% Alaska Native) students.Results. Among middle school students, 39% reported current use of ST, 24% reported cigarette smoking and 50% reported current use of any tobacco product. On multivariate analysis, independent correlates of current use of any tobacco were Alaska Native ethnicity (p=0.002) and ever use of marijuana (p&0.001). Among high school students, 38% reported current ST use, 43% reported cigarette smoking and 60% reported current use of any tobacco product. Independent correlates of current use of any tobacco were increasing age (p=0.007), ever use of marijuana (p&0.001), current use of marijuana (p=0.005) and reporting a suicide attempt within the past 12 months (p=0.003). No significant gender differences on tobacco use emerged for middle or high school students.Conclusions. This study documents the high tobacco use rates among youth residing in western Alaska, with over half of the adolescents reporting tobacco use. Developing interventions to promote tobacco use prevention and cessation is an essential step towards reducing tobacco-related health disparities in this rural population. Expanded efforts are needed to address tobacco use among youth residing in this region of Alaska.