Comparison of 1999 and 2003 current cigarette smoking behavior among jordanian adolescents: the global youth tobacco surveys

ABSTRACT

Adolescent cigarette smoking has received particular attention in the past two decades. Comparison of prevalence estimates trends is likely to inform public health intervention strategies. This study was conducted to compare the prevalence of current cigarette smoking among school going adolescents in Jordan between 1999 and 2003. Cross sectional, questionnaire-based study among school going adolescents in the Jordanian Global Youth Tobacco Survey 1999 and 2003. The overall prevalence of smoking in 1999 was 16.9% [95% CI 15.7%-18.1%] versus 15.5% [95% CI 14.5-16.5] in 2003. In terms of gender distribution 26.9% [95% CI 24.5%-29.3%] males were current smokers in 1999, while 20.0% [18.4%-21.6%] were smokers in 2003. 12.4% [95% CI 10.3%-14.5%] females were smokers in 1999 and 10.1% [95% CI 8.9%-11.2%] females were smokers in 2003. Thus comparing the 1999 estimates to the 2003 suggests that there has been an overall drop in prevalence of current smoking among school going adolescents in Jordan. Widespread antismoking public health interventions may have resulted in the observed reduction in current smoking prevalence in Jordan between 1999 and 2003. There is need to continue monitoring the trends in smoking among adolescents