Determinants of ever smoking and active smoking among school-aged children in Jeddah

This study estimated the prevalence and investigated the determinants of ever-smoking and active smoking among school-aged children in Jeddah. Such data are crucial for developing optimal preventive and corrective strategies to address smoking among youth.

A school-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in Jeddah City, KSA, from September 2020 to December 2020. It included 6770 children attending grades 4-12, who were selected from 60 public and private elementary, middle, and secondary schools through multistage random-cluster sampling. An Arabic version of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey questionnaire was used to assess the prevalence and predictors of tobacco use.

The prevalence of ever smoking was 14.1% (95% CI = 13.2-14.9%), and the mean age at which children smoked their first cigarette or took any puffs was 13.76 years (SD = 2.23). The prevalence of active smoking was 3.8% (95% CI = 3.3-4.3%), and the amounts and frequency of cigarettes smoked in the past 30 days among smokers were relatively low. The most commonly consumed tobacco products were cigarettes (47.2%) and hookah (42.9%). In most cases, active smokers bought cigarettes by themselves from groceries or convenience stores, or received them from a person to whom they were close. Ever smoking was independently associated with older age, male gender, private school, the mother's working status, and exposure to passive smoking indoors or outdoors. Active smoking was independently associated with older age, male gender, private school, a high amount of pocket money, perceived ease of obtaining tobacco products, and exposure to passive smoking.

The observed smoking patterns among school-aged children in Jeddah corresponded to occasional smoking, and family-related determinants were significant contributors. The findings highlight the relevance of implementing smoking cessation interventions and awareness campaigns, at both the school and community levels, to achieve maximal benefit.