Prevalence and predictors of tobacco use among Saudi adolescents: the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) 2022.

BACKGROUND

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to acquiring new behaviors, including tobacco use, especially in familiar and social gatherings and celebrations where they witness certain behaviors like waterpipe use. Saudi Arabia enhances preventive and therapeutic healthcare services. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of tobacco use and identify its predictors among adolescents aged 13-15 years in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

Data were collected from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, which was conducted in Saudi Arabia in 2022.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of tobacco use among Saudi Arabian adolescents was 8.8%, where 7.5% of the participant females versus 10% of the males use tobacco products. Age and lower spending were significantly associated with higher evidence of smoking among youth (P < 0.05). Moreover, various predictors ofsmoking behavior among Saudi adolescents e.g., exposure to secondhand smoke, elevate the likelihood of the adolescents in Saudi Arabia to use tobacco (OR 1.849, CI 1.450-2.358). Additionally, different kinds of media messages target this age category as well as the adolescent's perception of smoking (OR 1.319, CI 1.021-1.705).

CONCLUSION

Increased efforts are needed to address the harmful health and social impacts of smoking among adolescents in Saudi Arabia. Such efforts may include educational health campaigns targeting adolescents at their schools or in public places and mass gatherings.