Cham, B;
Scholes, S;
Groce, NE;
Mindell, JS;
(2019)
Prevalence and Predictors of Smoking among Gambian Men: A Cross-Sectional National WHO STEP Survey.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
, 16
(23)
, Article 4719. 10.3390/ijerph16234719.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the world, with a higher burden in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to quantify the prevalence and predictors of smoking among Gambian men using nationally representative data. METHODS: Data was collected in 2010 from a random, nationally representative sample of 4111 adults aged 25-64 years (78% response rate) using the World Health Organization (WHO) STEPwise cross-sectional survey methods. Our analyses focused on men with valid information on smoking status (n = 1766) because of the low prevalence of smoking among women (1%). RESULTS: The prevalence of current smoking among men was 31.4% (95% CI: 27.2-35.9). The median age of starting smoking was 19 years; 25% started before the age of 18 years and 10% started aged 8-10 years. Rural residence, underweight, and hypertension were significantly associated with smoking. CONCLUSION: The study reveals a high prevalence of smoking among Gambian men. It is evident that cigarettes are obtained by minors in The Gambia, as a high proportion of current smokers started at a young age. Advice and support to quit smoking should be extended to all smokers regardless of their age and whether or not they have any underlying health conditions.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Prevalence and Predictors of Smoking among Gambian Men: A Cross-Sectional National WHO STEP Survey |
| Location: | Switzerland |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.3390/ijerph16234719 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16234719 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2019 by the Authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
| Keywords: | Smoking, The Gambia, Tobacco use, WHO STEP survey |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Epidemiology and Public Health |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10086908 |
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