A STUDY OF FACTORS INFLUENCING CIGARETTE SMOKING HABIT AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN IBADAN

Abstract

The study relates to the prevalence of cigarette smoking among school children. The study area is the Ibadan Municipality, were students in forms IV and V in nine schools, and representing all categories of proprietorship were interviewed using a prepared questionnaire. A total of 510 students were interviewed. The objectives of the study were: To investigate the prevalence of the smoking habit among students of different age groups; To find our how and why students take to the smoking habit; To investigate what they know about smoking as a hazard to health; Based on the findings in 1 to 3, to suggest possible ways of reducing and preventing smoking among secondary school students. The data collected were subjected to statistical tests to establish the nature of the association between cigarette smoking and some causative factors which have been suggested in the existing literature. The analysis showed that 20.2% of the students have smoked before while only 4.7% were current smokers. Of the current smokers, 79.2% were boys and 20.8% were girls. Although majority of the smokers (75%) started smoking between classes II and IV in the last year of primary education. The rate of smoking was still relatively low, 70.8% smoked 1 to 5 sticks a day and none smoked over 10 sticks a day. With the exception of lung cancer which 85.1% of the respondents and 79.2% of the current smokers associated with smoking, the overall knowledge of the students concerning the health-hazards of smoking were very poor. The most important motivating factor was peer group effect, reinforced by mass media advertisement. There was no significant association between the smoking habit of the smokers and their religious affiliation. While the findings confirmed several previous views, doubts were cast on others thus calling for further studies.