ASSESSMENT OF CIGARETTE SMOKING PATTERNS AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ILORIN WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KWARA STATE

Abstract

Tobacco consumption through cigarette smoking is one of the world’s leading preventable causes of non-communicable diseases and premature death accounting for six million preventable deaths each year. Cigarette smoking became the predominant form of tobacco used across the world during the 20th century and ushered in the global lung cancer epidemic. The objective of this study is assessment of cigarette smoking pattern among senior secondary schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area, Kwara State. A descriptive cross-sectional survey involving six schools selected by multistage sampling technique using a structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 400 senior secondary students. The mean age of respondent was 16 years. The ever smoked and current smoking prevalence was 13.5% and 2.5% respectively. Initiation among those who have smoked typically occurs between the age of 13 and 16 years. Among smoker 3.8% smoked 10 pieces or less than daily. Parental smoking 28.0% was the main influence of cigarette smoking among the students. Among the students 81.8% agree that smoking is harmful to health and 97.8% agree that smoking causes lung cancer and 92.5% causes other cancer. This study also affirmed that the chi square value of 216.71 and the critical x² value of 16.92 with the degree of freedom 9 at 0.05 alpha level. Since the calculated x² value of 216.71 is greater than the critical x² value of 16.92 at 9 degree of freedom. There is significant relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and the prevalence of cigarette smoking among the senior secondary school students in ilorin west LGA. Despite a relatively low prevalence of cigarette smoking among the students, with only a small percentage having ever smoked, the findings highlight significant social and environmental influences that could predispose students to smoking. The initiation of smoking at an early age and the strong influence of peers underscore the need for early intervention strategies aimed at preventing smoking initiation among adolescents.