Knowledge, attitudes & predictors of smoking among male intermediate and secondary school students in National Guard Housing schools, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

Nasser Hassan Al Khaldi; Adel Nasser Al Bargi; Abdulrahman Ahmad Al Naim; Saleh Khaled Al Mogairen; Abdullah Khalid Al Maqhawi; Sayed Ibrahim Ali; Mohammed Ahmed Al Omari; Abdulaziz Abdullah Al Ahmari

Volume : V, Issue : V, May - 2016

Knowledge, attitudes & predictors of smoking among male intermediate and secondary school students in National Guard Housing schools, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

Nasser Hassan Al Khaldi, Adel Nasser Al Bargi, Abdulrahman Ahmad Al Naim, Saleh Khaled Al Mogairen, Abdullah Khalid Al Maqhawi, Sayed Ibrahim Ali, Mohammed Ahmed Al Omari, Abdulaziz Abdullah Al Ahmari

Abstract :

Background : In this study we investigated the prevalence of cigarettes and SHISHA smoking as well as the assessment of associated factors, knowledge, and attitude behind smoking among intermediate and secondary school male students in National Guard Housing, Dammam, Eastern Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross–sectional study was conducted to involve the whole intermediate and secondary school male students (aged 12–20 years) in National Guard Housing in Dammam, KSA, using a self–administered modified version of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) questionnaire between 1st of April and 30th of April, 2015. Result: Among 521 students (309 intermediate students, 212 secondary students) all of them completed the given questionnaire making the response rate 100%, the prevalence of those ever smoked cigarettes was 51.4% (42.4%, 64.6%) of intermediate and secondary students respectively, while the current smokers was 32.24% (27.5%, 39.15%) of intermediate and secondary students respectively. Regarding the prevalence of SHISHA ever smoked was 37% of all students (27.8%, 50.5%) for intermediate and secondary school respectively, while the current smokers of SHISHA was 28% (22.65% of intermediate students, 35.84% of secondary students). Significant association was found between smoking and having parents who smoke, having friends who smoke, lack of age restriction in selling tobacco products, higher age students who progressed in their class levels, but not significantly associated with total income of family, parent�s level of education, or school performance. Conclusion: Cigarettes and SHISHA smoking prevalence among the students is high, alarming, and getting bigger by time, which indicate the importance of having a great role of health education provision and implementation of new unconventional antismoking programs by involving technology, media, family, friends and role models to protect the new generations and prevent further complications of smoking.