Factors influencing smokeless tobacco use among high school adolescents in Sindh Pakistan. Smokeless Tobacco

Abstract

Objective: To assess the use of smokeless tobacco among adolescents in high schools, and to determine the factors
that contribute to the use of smokeless tobacco in this age group.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was carried out between October and December 2022, involving 308 participants
who were 9th and 10th-grade adolescents, aged 13 to 16 years, from four public high schools located in Taluka
Qasim Abad, District Hyderabad. Data were collected using a pre-designed YRBSS (Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance
Survey) questionnaire to examine smokeless tobacco (SLT) use. Data analysis utilized SPSS version 29, involving chisquare
tests and binary logistic regression analyses to evaluate the likelihood of factors related to adolescent smokeless
tobacco use.
Results: The study indicated that 23% of participants were actively using smokeless tobacco, with an average age of
15.42 (±SD 5.6). The logistic regression analysis demonstrated that male adolescents whose parents and friends use
smokeless tobacco, who have limited health education and exposure in public environments, and who perceive comfort
and appeal in using smokeless tobacco, were all significantly associated with an increased likelihood of smokeless tobacco
use among adolescents.
Conclusion: There is an urgent requirement for focused interventions and public health initiatives to diminish the use of
SLT and to tackle the social influences and perceptions associated with it.

Keywords: Tobacco, Smokeless, Adolescent, Health Impact Assessment