Prevalence and determinants of adolescent tobacco smoking in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) 2003 were used to determine smoking prevalence, determinants, attitudes to, and exposure to tobacco advertisements among adolescents.Of the 1868 respondents, 4.5% males and 1% females reported being current smokers (p < 0.01). Having smoking friends was strongly associated with smoking after controlling for age, gender, parental smoking status, and perception of risks of smoking (OR = 33; 95% CI [11.6, 95.6]). Male gender and having one or both smoking parents were associated with smoking. Perception that smoking is harmful was negatively associated with being a smoker (odds ratio 0.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.2–0.5)Prevalence of smoking among adolescents in Ethiopia is lower than in many other African countries. There is however need to strengthen anti-tobacco messages especially among adolescents.Smoking, which is the major single known cause of non-communicable diseases [1-5], is widespread around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 30% of the adult male global population smokes [6]. National smoking prevalence among men in sub-Sahara Africa vary from 20% to 60% and the annual cigarette consumption rates are on the rise for both men and women [7]. Among sub-Saharan African youth, rates of smoking range from 1.4% in Zimbabwe and 1.5% in Nigeria to 34.4% in Cape Town, South Africa, which is cause for concern [8]. In Kenya, 7.2% of school-going adolescents smoke cigarettes while 8.5% use other forms of tobacco products [9]. The prevalence of smoking among young Ethiopian (15–25 years of age) living in Addis-Ababa was 11.8% for males and 1.1% for females in 1995 [10].As the life expectancy improves in developing countries, non-communicable chronic diseases, many of which are associated with smoking, are expected to gain greater prominence. It is estimated that 50% of adolescents who start smoking become regular smokers [6]. About 50% of those who continue to smoke during adulthood die