Study of prevalence and factors influencing smoking among teenagers in the district of Colombo and a health promotion intervention for the parents to promote non-smoking behaviour among teenagers.

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