BACKGROUND

Our study examined the prevalence and associated factors of tobacco product use and non-users' susceptibility to using tobacco products among school-going adolescents in 22 African countries.

METHODS

We analyzed the cross-sectional 2013-2018 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) data from 22 African countries. We conducted complex sampling descriptive and logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of current use of any tobacco product among adolescents was 19.1%, with more males (23.7%) than females (13.7%) being current users. Zimbabwe and Morocco were the highest (47.1%) and least (12.6%) reported prevalence, respectively. Being male (AOR = 1.93;95%CI:1.61-2.32), being 16 and older(AOR = 1.37;95%CI:1.01-1.86), exposure to secondhand smoke within (AOR = 1.98;95%CI:1.69-2.32) and outside (AOR = 1.37;95%CI:1.13-1.65) the home, not knowledgeable about the harmful effect of secondhand smoke (AOR = 1.44;95%CI:1.20-1.74), exposure to tobacco industry promotion (AOR = 3.05;95%CI:2.68-3.47) and not in favour of banning smoking in enclosed places (AOR = 1.32;95%CI:1.08-1.60) were associated with current use of any tobacco product. The prevalence of the susceptibility to using tobacco products among never users of tobacco products was 12.2%, with no significant gender difference. Mozambique (24.6%) and Algeria (4.5%) had the highest and least prevalence of susceptibility to using tobacco products among never users, respectively. Exposure to tobacco industry promotion (AOR = 1.54;95%CI:1.31-1.82), those not in favour of banning smoking in enclosed places (AOR = 1.29;95%CI:1.14-1.45) and those not exposed to anti-smoking school education (AOR = 1.24;95%CI:1.06-1.46) were associated with susceptibility to using any tobacco product among never users of tobacco products.

CONCLUSION

Our study reports that tobacco use and non-user susceptibility to using tobacco products among school-going adolescents in the 22 African countries is high. As part of public health efforts, governments and other stakeholders need to fully implement anti-tobacco use campaigns, enforce a complete ban on tobacco promotion and advertising, institute educational programs for families, and anti-tobacco use education for the general public and in schools in line with WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control guidelines.