Patterns of self-reported tobacco smoking among schooling adolescents in the age group of 13 to 15 years in Kandy District, Sri Lanka

Understanding the patterns of smoking among schooling adolescents is crucial for developing targeted prevention and intervention strategies to address this public health concern and promote healthier behaviours. The objective of the study was to describe the patterns of self-reported tobacco smoking among schooling adolescents in government schools in the age group of 13-15 years in the Kandy district. A cross-sectional study was conducted. The subjects were selected using a stratified multi-stage cluster sampling method. A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used.A total of 1395 students (Male 52.9%) were included. The Prevalence of ever tobacco smoking in the age group of 13 to 15 years, was 6.02% (95% CI, 4.83% - 7.40%). The prevalence of current smokers was 4.16% (3.23% - 5.24%). Most of the smokers felt they were healthy and smoking would not harm them (33.3%, n=28). Cigarette was the most common type of tobacco product used for smoking. The majority of current smokers get their tobacco products from a third person who is buying for them (77.6%, n=45). Social events were the most preferred place of smoking (35.7%, n=30). Parental smoking (0.023) and the presence of a sibling (<0.0001) who smokes were significantly higher among smokers than nonsmokers. The identification of patterns of smoking among adolescents not only enhances our understanding of the issue but also serves as a foundation for developing effective prevention strategies to address this public health challenge.