Abstract
Objectives
To estimate prevalence and identify correlates of age of smoking initiation among adolescents in Africa.
Methods
Data (n = 16,519) were obtained from nationally representative Global Youth Tobacco Surveys in nine West African countries. Study outcome was adolescents’ age of smoking initiation categorized into six groups: ≤7, 8 or 9, 10 or 11, 12 or 13, 14 or 15 and never-smoker. Explanatory variables included sex, parental or peer smoking behavior, exposure to tobacco industry promotions, and knowledge about smoking harm. Weighted multinomial logit models were conducted to determine correlates associated with adolescents’ age of smoking initiation.
Results
Age of smoking initiation was as early as ≤7 years; prevalence estimates ranged from 0.7 % in Ghana at 10 or 11 years age to 9.6 % in Cote d’Ivoire at 12 or 13 years age. Males, exposures to parental or peer smoking, and industry promotions were identified as significant correlates.
Conclusions
West African policymakers should adopt a preventive approach consistent with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to prevent an adolescent from initiating smoking and developing into future regular smokers.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank all personnel, including study participants, study coordinators and organizations involved with the Global Youth Tobacco Survey. In particular, the authors would like to acknowledge the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for making the data publicly available through the GTSS data portal.
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Veeranki, S.P., John, R.M., Ibrahim, A. et al. Age of smoking initiation among adolescents in Africa. Int J Public Health 62, 63–72 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-016-0888-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-016-0888-7