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Tobacco consumption among school girls in a suburb area in Tehran
Mohsen Asadi-Lari, Head, Department of Epidemiology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Background: Tobacco consumption is the most preventable cause of death all around the world, accounting for nearly 5 million lives lost, which will be doubled by the next 20 years, of these 70% will occur in developing countries according to WHO. Most people experience smoking in early adolescence; a great number may become established smokers. In fact, the earlier youths begin to smoke, the more likely they will smoke as adults and the longer time they tend to smoke. In a national survey in Iran in 1999 two thirds of smokers had reported first cigarette experience at age 14. This study attempts to demonstrate concrete evidence about the prevalence of smoking among adolescents and to compare the prevalence with the last national Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS, 2004) in a suburb area adjacent to Tehran.
Method: A randomised stratified sample of 288 school girl adolescents aged 11-17 (median 14y) years old studying in year 7-9 were selected in 2007. GYTS questionnaire, which is a self administered previously standardised tool, was completed in the presence of a researcher, subsequently analysed with SPSS v.12.
Results: Nearly one-fifth of school girls had ever tried smoking; among them 36% had experienced other types of smoking rather than cigarette, only 3%, however, were current smokers. Twenty nine percent had started smoking when aged less than 10 years and 82% under 13. Almost all (98%) girls reported their first cigarette experience at age 15 or less; none of them smoked more than 2 days in the prior month. Schoolgirls who experienced smoking in puberty age (12 years and beyond), compared to younger children, had greater chance to smoke 1-2 days in the preceding month (P= 0.01).
Conclusion: These data suggest that smoking prevalence is rising among Iranian teenage girls and they start smoking in their earlier ages than previously expected.
Biography
Mohsen Asadi-Lari MD PhD FRIPH, is a medical doctor graduated in 1993, holding a PhD in Public Health and Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Medicine (2004, Nottingham), post-doc senior research fellow in palliative care (2005-2006, Warwick), and Assistant Professor in Epidemiology and Public Health (Tehran, 2006 onward). He has published more than 20 papers in well-known scientific journals, mostly cited in Medline and Embase, particularly in health-related quality of life, health needs assessment, health management in disasters and palliative care. He has established a 'Tobacco Research Centre' and 'Oncopathology Research Centre' in Tehran and encourages his MPH, MSc and PhD students to work in these fields, regarding the prevalence of smoking in Iran. He is currently co-manager of a large nationwide population-based smoking cessation programme in Iran to be launched in mid 2007.
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