Raji MO, Hauwa’u Muhammad, Usman AM, Muwafaq Umar, Oladigbolu RA and Kaoje AU
Introduction: Many factors have been put forward for adolescents engagements in smoking; influence of peers, the need to conform, low self-esteem, need for approval, and family influences have been identified. Also, knowledge of health problems associated with smoking is a major reason for not smoking by never smoked adolescents. It is against this background that this study becomes relevant, also, coupled with the fact that no previous study on cigarette smoking has been conducted among out-of-school adolescents in Sokoto. Methodology: The study was conducted among out-ofschool adolescents in sokoto metropolis. The study site consisted of the commercial motor-parks, central and other market sites as well as busy roads in sokoto metropolis where out of school adolescents frequent. A total of 213 study participants were recruited using a 2- staged sampling technique and subsequently interviewed using an interviewer administered structured questionnaire. Data was entered and analysed with IBM version 21 statistical software package. Level of significance was set at 5% and all tests were conducted using 2 tails. Result: Most of the respondents had good knowledge of health hazard of cigarette smoking, 11.3% of respondents had ever smoked cigarette and 3.3% were current cigarette smoker. There was an association between respondents ever smoking cigarette with respondentsâ educational status (X2=9.575, p=0.002), age group (X2=17.548, p=0.000), fathers smoking cigarette (X2=5.655, p=0.02, OR=2.78), mother smoking cigarette (X2=12.162, p=0.000, OR=13.36). Main determinant of respondent ever smoking was their perception that smokers should be allowed to smoke in public [OR=17.026, p=0.002, CI= (2.82-102.807]. Conclusion: Eleven percent of respondents had ever smoked cigarette, 3.3% were currently smoking cigarette. Most of the adolescents had good knowledge of health hazards of cigarette smoking. Main determinant of respondents ever smoking was the perception that people should be allowed to smoke in public. Sustained antismoking campaigns targeting out-of school adolescents may go a long way in reducing cigarette use among this group of adolescents.
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