Prevalence of cigarette smoking and associated risk factors amongst middle-school students in Ongkharak District, Thailand

Abstract

Background: Cigarette smoking is a common tobacco use which is the leading preventable cause of death in Thailand. Prevalence and risk factors of cigarette smoking are varied amongst communities. Objective: The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of cigarette smoking amongst middle-school students studying in the Ongkharak district, central Thailand. Material and Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with students of the public schools in Ongkharak district, central Thailand, in 2013. Of 677 middle-school students (grade 7-9) who currently enrolled in the classes, 130 were randomly selected. Data on smoking as well as demographic characteristics were collected using an anonymous selfadministered questionnaire which was modified from the 2013 Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and translated into Thai. Results: The prevalence of children who smoked or had smoked before was 24.6% (38.9% amongst males and 6.9% amongst females, p-value <0.001), of this proportion 50% were current smokers. Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors for having ever smoked were being male (OR = 7.63, 95% CI 2.26-26.90), of an older age (OR = 2.30, 95% CI 1.40-3.76), high coffee or tea consumption (OR = 2.95, 95% CI 1.08-8.05) and sharing a household with a smoker (OR = 2.96, 95% CI 1.09-8.06). Those who have smoked reported higher prevalence of asthma compared to those who have never smoked (25.0% vs. 9.2%, p-value = 0.033). Conclusion: About a quarter of middle-school students in Ongkharak district smoked cigarettes. Anti-smoking and prevention policies should be encouraged to tackle this rising major public health problem. © 2015, Medical Association of Thailand. All rights reserved.