Prevalence Rates and Predictors for Smoking Cigarettes Among Adolescents Attending School in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
Geir Gunnlaugsson,
Aladje Baldé,
Zeca Jandi,
Hamadou Boiro,
Jónína Einarsdóttir
Affiliations
Geir Gunnlaugsson
Faculty of Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics, School of Social Sciences, University of Iceland, IS-102 Reykjavik, Iceland
Aladje Baldé
Office of the Rector, Jean Piaget University of Guinea-Bissau, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
Zeca Jandi
Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisa (INEP), Avenida dos Combatentes da Liberdade da Pátria, Complexo Escolar 14 de Novembro, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
Hamadou Boiro
Faculty of Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics, School of Social Sciences, University of Iceland, IS-102 Reykjavik, Iceland
Jónína Einarsdóttir
Faculty of Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics, School of Social Sciences, University of Iceland, IS-102 Reykjavik, Iceland
Substance use is a growing problem among young people in sub-Saharan Africa who increasingly adopt the habit of smoking cigarettes. The aim was to analyse prevalence rates and identify predictors for cigarette smoking among school-attending adolescents in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. In June 2017, a survey questionnaire was implemented in 16 schools in a class-based, random sample of 2039 adolescents aged 14–19 (52% girls). The chi-square (p p-values were transformed to LogWorth values. The prevalence rate for lifetime smoking experience was 14.8%, 4.0% for occasional smoking (<30 days), and 2.4% for daily smoking. The most significant predictors 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.
