Exploring an effective tobacco prevention programme for Indian adolescents

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• Tobacco Control

Background:

• Tobacco use is a major global public health concern, with millions of young people in India initiating use daily.
• Existing evidence on school-based smoking prevention primarily originates from Western countries.
• There is a critical need to evaluate interventions tailored for the Indian adolescent population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a short-term, school-based educational intervention on adolescents' knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors (KAIB) concerning tobacco use.
• To provide evidence for the effectiveness of such programs in the Indian context.

Main Methods:

• An intervention trial involving 720 adolescents aged 15-16 years in Bangalore, India.
• Educational interventions were delivered in phases with two interactive sessions six months apart.
• KAIB scores were measured using pre- and post-intervention questionnaires.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in mean KAIB scores post-intervention compared to pre-intervention (P < 0.0001).
• Knowledge scores increased from 5.9 to 7.8, attitude scores from 23.6 to 26.7, and practice scores improved from 18.9 to 12.3.
• The intervention demonstrated a major positive impact on adolescent tobacco-related KAIB.

Conclusions:

• School-based short-term educational interventions are effective in preventing and reducing tobacco use among Indian adolescents.
• These findings support the implementation of similar programs to combat adolescent tobacco use in India.