TOBACCO CONSUMPTION AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN NAIROBI

Objective: To determine the extent, pattern and the attendant risk factors of cigarettesmoking and tobacco consumption among primary school teachers in Nairobi.Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study.Setting: The study was carried out among randomly selected Nairobi City Council primaryschools in 1996.Participants: All the teachers in the selected primary schools were included in the study.Results: Out of 910 teachers contacted, 813 responded (a response rate of 89.3 %). A total of800 teachers completed the questionnaire correctly and are the subject of the presentanalysis. Fifty per cent of male and three per cent of female teachers were cigarette smokersat the time of the study. The median age for starting to smoke was between 15 and 24 years.At this age, the teachers were secondary school and tertiary college students. It was observedthat the age of smoking initiation seems to determine the individual's smoking status laterin life.Conclusion: Since 57% of smokers started smoking during their secondary school days,secondary school students seem to be at a higher risk of initiating smoking. It is thereforeimportant to target them for smoking control initiatives before they start the habit. Anumber of smokers were willing to quit smoking but did not know how to go about it.External assistance is therefore required for them to achieve their wish. It is also importantto emphasise the need by the relevant authorities to initiate programmes for anti-smokingeducation in secondary schoolsand colleges in the country

PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF SMOKING AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NAIROBI

ABSTRACTObjectives: To determine the prevalence of smoking and investigate factors that mayinfluence smoking behaviour in secondary school students in Nairobi.Design: Cross-sectional survey in which a self-administered questionnaire was issued to thestudents.Setting: Sampled public and private secondary schools in Nairobi.Participants: All the students in the selected secondary schools were included in the study.Results: Five thousand, three hundred and eleven(74. 1%) secondary school students werecovered. There were 3658 boys and 1653 girls in the study. The mean age was 16.7 years SD± 1.48. The study covered 3065(77.3%) and 2246 (70. 1%) of the public and private schoolstudents respectively. A total of 1709 (32.2%) were ever-smokers. The overall rate of eversmokingby gender among the students was 38.6% of males and 17.9% of the females.Experimentation with smoking started at five years and regular smoking at 10 years butmajority of students (72.2%) started at between age 12 and 16 years. Parents’ and teachers’smoking habits influenced initiation of smoking by young children while peer pressure,advertising and type of school influenced older children to smoking. About 67% of the eversmokersstopped the habit giving various reasons. There was a strong relationship betweenage of smoking initiation and stoppage. Majority of the students smoked either to enhancetheir personalities or for stimulation. Most students smoked less than five cigarettes per day.General shops, kiosks and cigarette stalls which sell cigarettes in both packets and singlesticks were the main source to students. Students smoked mostly in the evening and at night.Most student smokers were not discouraged by health warnings on the cigarette packets andawareness of the dangers of smoking. Enforceable legislation that would ban advertising andmake smoking illegal was the main recommendation from the students.Conclusions: Smoking is a problem among Kenyan students. The habit starts quite early inlife. Peer pressure, advertising, type of school and age influenced smoking among thestudents. Banning the sale of cigarettes in single sticks is recommended. Anti-smokingcampaigners and specially trained school teachers should encourage attitude shaping amongschool children towards self confidence and adequacy