Tobacco Consumption Practices among the School Students.

ABSTRACT

Research question What is the prevalence of tobacco consumption in school students of Anand Taluka in Gujarat. Settings Urban and rural areas of Anand taluka of Gujarat. Study design: A cross-sectional study. Participants: School students of class 11th and 12th of selected schools. Methodology: Sample size taken for the study purpose was 1200 in accordance with the prevalence of tobacco consumption in Kheda district of Gujarat. The study was conducted with the help of pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire. Urban and rural areas were selected by simple random sampling and school students were selected by systematic random sampling. Results: The prevalence of current tobacco users was found to be 8.2%. Chewing is the most preferable form of tobacco use. Maximum number of users started tobacco use at the age of 11-15. The study showed a lack of knowledge in the students regarding the consequences of tobacco use. Friend’s and teacher’s smoking behaviour is significantly associated with student’s tobacco consumption.