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Tobacco Use Among Teenagers In Chennai- A Survey Of Initiation, Prevalence, Knowledge And Attitude
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| Author:
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SHEBI S, MEBIN GEORGE MATHEW
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| Abstract:
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Introduction: Tobacco use among school going children is becoming a serious public health issue in developing countries like India. However, a recognizable change in trends has been observed recently.
Aim: To determine the prevalence of tobacco use, the age of initiation, factors leading to initiation, and the knowledge about the health hazards caused by tobacco use among adolescents in Chennai.
Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 100 adolescents between the ages of 13 to 19 years in Chennai using a self-administered questionnaire.
Result: In all, 12% of the students were found to be tobacco users. The age of initiation was around 15 years. Majority of the students were initiated into this habit by friends or by immediate family members. In total, 88 % of the students reported to be aware of the harmful effects of tobacco use and have not used tobacco because of ill effects.
Conclusion: Within the limits of our study, we found that 12% of the participants were found to be using tobacco. 90% of the respondents were aware of the harmful effects of tobacco. The main source for initiation of tobacco use was friends due to peer pressure. 50% of those who used tobacco used it in smoked form.
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| Keyword:
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Adolescents, teenagers, tobacco, smoking habit, ill effects
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| EOI:
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-
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| DOI:
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https://doi.org/10.31838/ijpr/2020.12.04.429
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| Download:
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