Background : Cigarette smoking is a major ‘preventable’ cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.
Most adult smokers start smoking regularly some time before 18 years of age.
Objectives : This study aimed at identify the prevalence of, and determine some of socio-demographic
correlates of current cigarette smoking among in-school adolescents in Kut City.
Methodology : We carried out a cross-sectional survey of 1067 students in classes 7th to 11th (ages: 13 to
20 years) in 14 intermediate and secondary schools in Kut City, Wasit Province in 2007, by using
multistage probability sampling technique (stratified – simple), an anonymous self-completion
questionnaire as a part of Global School-based Student Health Survey ‘GSHS’ questionnaire was used.
Results : Results shows that cigarette smoking prevalent among male school students only, where 22.6%
(140 student of 619) stated that they had smoked at least once and (13.4%, 83 student of 619) stated that
they were currently smoking, so the data analysis involve male students only (sample size = 619). The
percentage of students who were currently smoking increased gradually with age: 7% in 13-14 years old,
16% in 15-17 years old to 29% in 18-20 years old. Findings indicates that adolescents who had parents who
smoked, were more likely to be smokers compared to adolescents who did not have parents who smoked ‘P
<0.05’ this suggests that parents imitation plays an important role in initiation of smoking in adolescents.
Fortunately, students who perceived parental supervision were less likely involved in smoking behavior ‘P
<0.05’.
Conclusion : Smoking is highly prevalent among secondary school male students in Kut City, while, there
are no smokers among female students, and this is due to the behavior of a socially acceptable habit of
smoking for men only and is not acceptable for women, and this gives immunity against the prevalence of
smoking among female students. The smoking behavior of adolescents influenced by complicated
interactions of varying sets of factors such as age, gender, parental smoking and parental supervision.