Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Atlantic Road, Fajara, P.O.Box 273, Banjul, Gambia.
Department of Public Health, University of The Gambia, Brikama Campus, Brikama, P.O. Box 3530, Serrekunda, Gambia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Nov 26;16(23):4719. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16234719.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the world, with a higher burden in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to quantify the prevalence and predictors of smoking among Gambian men using nationally representative data.
Data was collected in 2010 from a random, nationally representative sample of 4111 adults aged 25-64 years (78% response rate) using the World Health Organization (WHO) STEPwise cross-sectional survey methods. Our analyses focused on men with valid information on smoking status ( = 1766) because of the low prevalence of smoking among women (1%).
The prevalence of current smoking among men was 31.4% (95% CI: 27.2-35.9). The median age of starting smoking was 19 years; 25% started before the age of 18 years and 10% started aged 8-10 years. Rural residence, underweight, and hypertension were significantly associated with smoking.
The study reveals a high prevalence of smoking among Gambian men. It is evident that cigarettes are obtained by minors in The Gambia, as a high proportion of current smokers started at a young age. Advice and support to quit smoking should be extended to all smokers regardless of their age and whether or not they have any underlying health conditions.
吸烟是世界上可预防死亡的主要原因，在中低收入国家的负担更重。本研究的目的是使用具有全国代表性的数据来量化冈比亚男性的吸烟流行率及其预测因素。
2010 年，使用世界卫生组织（WHO）的 STEPwise 横断面调查方法，从一个由 4111 名 25-64 岁成年人组成的随机、具有全国代表性的样本中收集数据（78%的应答率）。由于女性吸烟率（1%）较低，我们的分析集中在具有吸烟状况有效信息的男性（=1766）。
男性当前吸烟率为 31.4%（95%CI：27.2-35.9）。开始吸烟的中位年龄为 19 岁；25%的人在 18 岁之前开始吸烟，10%的人在 8-10 岁开始吸烟。农村居住、体重不足和高血压与吸烟显著相关。
该研究揭示了冈比亚男性吸烟率很高。很明显，冈比亚的未成年人会获得香烟，因为很大一部分当前吸烟者在很小的时候就开始吸烟。无论年龄大小以及是否存在任何潜在的健康状况，都应该向所有吸烟者提供戒烟建议和支持。
