The Extent of and Determinants for Smoking Cigarettes among Adolescents Attending School in Guinea-Bissau

Substance use is a growing problem among young people in sub-Saharan Africa; tobacco use is the dominant one among these practices. The aim was to analyse prevalence rates and determinants for cigarette smoking of school-attending adolescents in the capital, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. In June 2017, a survey questionnaire was implemented in 16 schools among adolescents aged 14–19 (52% girls). The Chi-square (plt;0.05) and odds ratios (OR) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Potential explanatory variables for the dependent variables were introduced into a multinomial logistic regression model, and p-values were transformed to LogWorth values. The prevalence of lifetime smoking experience among 1,845 participants was 14.8%; 6.5% were current users, and 2.2% were daily smokers. The most significant determinants for cigarette smoking included having friends who smoke, being a boy, attending a private school, smoking initiation at a young age, other substance use and violent behaviour. It is imperative to initiate preventive actions against smoking and other use of tobacco in Guinea-Bissau. Considering the significant impact of the peer group, policymakers need to engage young people in developing primary prevention strategies to curb the use of tobacco and other substances.