Tobacco Use among School-Going Adolescents in Comoros: A Secondary Analysis of the 2015 Comoros Global Youth Tobacco Survey.

Background: Tobacco use among adolescents has long-term adverse health consequences, especially during adulthood. Currently, little is known about tobacco use behaviour among adolescents in Comoros. Our study aims at estimating the prevalence and identifying key factors associated with tobacco use among adolescents in Comoros using the 2015 Comoros Global Youth Tobacco Survey data.

Methods: A national cross-sectional survey secondary data of 2,810 eligible school-going adolescents aged between 11 and 17 years was analysed. Complex sample logistic regression analyses were used to determine the correlates of current cigarette smoking and current use of noncigarette tobacco products.

Results: The overall prevalence of current cigarette smoking was 14.3% [males (18.5%) and females (9.9%)]. The prevalence of current use of noncigarette tobacco products was 5.8% [males (6.7%) and females (4.9%)]. Being male (AOR = 2.24; 95% CI:1.39-3.63), exposure to secondhand smoke inside (AOR =3.88; 95% CI:2.84-5.31) and outside (AOR =1.49; 95% CI: 1.08-2.03) their home, and exposure to tobacco industry promotion (AOR =2.90; 95% CI:2.21-3.80) were associated with current cigarette use among school-going adolescents. However, parental smoke (AOR = 1.20; 95% CI:0.78-1.87) and not exposed to antismoking education in schools (AOR = 0.97; 95% CI:0.76-1.22) were not associated with current cigarette use. On the other hand, being male (AOR = 1.24; 95% CI:0.82-1.86) was not associated with the current use of noncigarette tobacco products. Adolescents who were exposed to tobacco industry promotion (AOR = .2.58; 95% CI:1.54-4.32) and not exposed to antismoking education in school (AOR = 0.52; 95% CI:0.32-0.85) were more and less likely associated with noncigarette tobacco use.

Conclusion: One in seven school-going adolescents smokes cigarettes, and approximately one in 20 school-going adolescents uses noncigarette tobacco products in Comoros. Exposure to secondhand smoke within and outside the home and exposure to tobacco industry promotion were associated with tobacco use in school-going adolescents in Comoros. Our findings suggest the need for adolescent-friendly gender-sensitive tobacco interventions, including strengthening existing tobacco control laws to prevent and reduce tobacco use among school-going adolescents in Comoros.