Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking and Associated Factors Among Adolescents in Eastern Ethiopia, 2020

Cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable morbidity and mortality globally, and it is accountable for many causes of premature deaths. Despite the negative consequences of cigarette smoking, studies to identify factors associated with cigarette smoking are scanty and little is known about this practice in the Somali region so far, so this study aimed to assess the prevalence of cigarette smoking and associated factors among adolescents in the Gode, eastern Ethiopia 2020.

A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed among 341 adolescents in the Godey administration of the Somali Region, Eastern Ethiopia from July to August 2020. A systematic sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data were collected using a pretested interviewer administered questionnaire. The collected data were entered with Epi-Data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 22 software for statistical analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were done to identify the true effect of predictor variables on the outcome variable after controlling for possible confounders. Statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05.

Over all, the prevalence of current cigarette smoking among adolescents was found to be 21.1% (95% CI: (16.7-25.5). Having smoker parents [AOR = 2.57, 95% CI: (1.32-5.02)], whose friends smoke cigarette [AOR = 4.78, 95% CI: (2.12-10.76)], and currently chewing khat [AOR = 6.01, 95% CI: (2.96-12.23)] were significantly associated predictors of current cigarette smoking in the final model of multivariable analysis.

The prevalence of cigarette smoking was relatively high in this study area. This study reported having smokers' parents, having smokers' friends and chewing khat were found to be independent predictors for cigarette smoking. Therefore, effective smoking prevention and intervention programs are required in this area.