ABSTRACT
To identify the predictors that lead to cigarette smoking among high school students by utilizing the global youth tobacco survey in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [KSA]. A cross-sectional study was conducted among high school students [grades 10-12] in Riyadh, KSA, between April 24, 2010, and June 16, 2010. The response rate of the students was 92.17%. The percentage of high school students who had previously smoked cigarettes, even just 1-2 puffs, was 43.3% overall. This behavior was more common among male students [56.4%] than females [31.3%]. The prevalence of students who reported that they are currently smoking at least one cigarette in the past 30 days was 19.5% [31.3% and 8.9% for males and females, respectively]. "Ever smoked" status was associated with male gender [OR = 2.88, confidence interval [CI]: 2.28-3.63], parent smoking [OR = 1.70, CI: 1.25-2.30] or other member of the household smoking [OR = 2.11, CI: 1.59-2.81] who smoked, closest friends who smoked [OR = 8.17, CI: 5.56-12.00], and lack of refusal to sell cigarettes [OR = 5.68, CI: 2.09-15.48]. Several predictors of cigarette smoking among high school students were identified
ABSTRACT
To identify the prevalence and predictors of the water-pipe [WP] smoking epidemic in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [KSA]. A cross-sectional study conducted with 16-18 year-old high school students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Of the 1272 participants, 414 [33.0%] reported having tried WP smoking. Of this group, 141 [34.1%] were female and 273 [65.9%] were male. Further, 129 [10.2%] students were current WP smokers who had used at least one rock in the past month; 20 were female [1.6%] and 120 were male [8.6%]. Regarding age, 276 [68.1%] students who tried WP smoking at least once began when they were over 11 years of age, whereas 129 [31.9%] began WP smoking at or before 11 years of age. Adjusted odds ratios showed that trying WP smoking at least once was associated with smoking after the age of 11 [p = 0.021, OR 7.7; CI: 1.4-43.6] and accepting water-pipes from a friend [p = 0.024, OR 10.6; CI: 1.4-83.4]. A high prevalence of WP smoking exists among male and female high schools students in Riyadh, KSA. WP smoking was reported to begin in early adulthood. WP smoking [water-pipe smoking], KSA [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia], STS [Saudi Thoracic Society], GYTS [Global Youth Tobacco Survey], CI [confidence interval]