Smoking characteristics on junior high school students: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

BACKGROUNG: The age of new smokers has shifted to a younger age group. Smoking has become a trend among teenagers. AIM: The purpose of this study was to obtain a description of the characteristics of junior high school teenagers with smoking habit. METHODS: This research was a survey with cross-sectional observational study design. Respondents were male and female students in two public Junior High Schools in Makassar City, Indonesia. 1062 students were chosen, 473 were male students and 589 were female students. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. Univariate analysis was conducted to see the characteristics of respondents. RESULTS: The results showed 18.4% respondents never smoked with details of 39.4% male students and 1.5% female students. Students who ever smoked, as many as 26.7% are still smoking until currently with details of 28% male students and 1.5% female. As many as 11.3% of students had low knowledge about smoking, 27.8% interacted with peers who smokes, 17.3% lived with parents who smokes, and 18.8% interacted with tobacco advertising. CONCLUSIONS: Teen smokers have the potential to become long-term smokers. The high number of teenage smokers will worsen the public health situation. Therefore, health promotion for prevention and intervention of smoking behavior in schools needs to be done intensively.

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