Abstract:
A cross sectional study was carried out in the district of Colombo among 826 teenagers aged
13 - 19 years recruited using cluster sampling techniques where each cluster was identified
using probability proportionate to size. The study instrument was a self-administered
questionnaire for teenagers and their parents. The questionnaire was valid and reliable for
obtaining smoking information of the teenagers. Prevalence of current smoking among
teenagers was 6.8 (+.7) with 12 for males and 1.2 for females. Twenty nine percent of
teenage current smokers intend to quit smoking. Nobody had spoken to 61 of teenage
current smokers about health effects of smoking. The protective factors against smoking are
being in school (OR = 0.301, CI =0,301 , CI=0, 152-0.596 , p<0.05), living in urban areas (
OR =0,550, CI =-.320.936 , p<0.05) and positive attitudes against smoking ( OR =0.935, CI
0,897-0.975. Financial constraints opposition from the family and health effects of smorking
forced ex-smokers to quit smoking. Lack of respect in society, the influence of priests and
effects on his sexual life influenced him to quit smoking. Avoiding friends who smoke and
the sense of well-being following quitting strengthened non - smoking behaviour.
Teenagers have seen tobacco advertisements significantly more than parents. Teenagers who
never smoked were significantly more knowledgeable on the health effects caused by
tobacco smoking than currently smoking teenagers ( p<0.05). The intervention was found to
be successful in changing knowledge, attitudes of children as well as parents positively .
Their awareness of insidious advertisements improved significantly. This intervention being
simple , home based and taking a short time for delivery to the parents, and implemented
through the Public Health Midwife can be used during her routine work with out a
hindrance in MOH areas. The self-administered questionnaire used in this survey was
effective in obtaining information on smoking from the teenagers and could be used in
community surveys on smoking among teenagers
