Muula A S
Department of Community Health, University of Malawi, College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi.
Tanzan Health Res Bull. 2007 Jan;9(1):48-51. doi: 10.4314/thrb.v9i1.14292.
Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive airways disease and several cancers. There is little data about the prevalence and determinants of smoking among adolescents in southern Africa. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of cigarette smoking among adolescents in Blantyre City, Malawi. Cross-sectional data were obtained from school-going adolescents in Blantyre in 2001 using the Global Youth Tobacco Survey data collection instrument. Data were analysed to determine prevalence of current and ever cigarette smoking, and predictors of smoking. The prevalence of current smoking and ever smoking were 3.0% and 15.6%, respectively. Predictors of current tobacco smoking included male gender, having friends or parents who smoked, having been exposed to advertisements about tobacco brands on television and having seen a lot of advertisements in newspapers and magazines. School programmes that included being taught about smoking in class and a class discussion on the dangers of tobacco were not associated with reduced current smoking. Intervention programmes aiming to curb tobacco smoking among adolescents should focus on dealing also with parental smoking, peer influence and pay special attention toward male gender. School-based programmes to prevent smoking should be evaluated as some may have little impact in influencing current smoking status.
吸烟是缺血性心脏病、中风、慢性阻塞性气道疾病和几种癌症等非传染性疾病的主要风险因素。关于南部非洲青少年吸烟率及其决定因素的数据很少。本研究旨在确定马拉维布兰太尔市青少年吸烟的患病率及其决定因素。2001年，使用全球青少年烟草调查数据收集工具，从布兰太尔的在校青少年中获取横断面数据。对数据进行分析，以确定当前吸烟和曾经吸烟的患病率以及吸烟的预测因素。当前吸烟率和曾经吸烟率分别为3.0%和15.6%。当前吸烟的预测因素包括男性、有吸烟的朋友或父母、在电视上接触过烟草品牌广告以及在报纸和杂志上看到大量广告。学校开展的包括在课堂上讲授吸烟知识以及就烟草危害进行课堂讨论的项目，与当前吸烟率降低无关。旨在遏制青少年吸烟的干预项目应注重解决父母吸烟、同伴影响问题，并特别关注男性。应评估以学校为基础的预防吸烟项目，因为有些项目可能对影响当前吸烟状况影响甚微。
