Risk Factors of Tobacco use Among Thai Adolescents: Finding from International Tobacco Control Policy Survey Southeast Asia (ICT-SEA)
Tawima Sirirassamee MD*, Buppha Sirirassamee PhD**, Aree Jampaklay PhD**, Ron Borland PhD***, Geoffrey T Fong PhD****
Affiliation : * Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Srinakarinwirot University, Nakorn Nayok, Thailand ** Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand *** The Cancer Council Victoria, Victoria, Australia **** University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Objective : To determine the risk factors of tobacco use among Thai adolescents.
Material and Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 706 adolescents sampled from 5 regions
of Thailand using stratified multistage sampling. Participants were asked to complete self-administered
questionnaires about tobacco use and psychosocial factors. A logistic regression model of risk factors for
tobacco use was estimated using backward stepping.
Results : The prevalence of smoking in Thai adolescent was 15 percent (27.8% in males, 2.3% in females).
Older age (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.02-1.51), number of close friend smoking (OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.35-1.93),
number of older sibling smoking (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.01-2.04), heavy alcoholic consumption (OR = 3.99,
95% CI = 1.87-8.49), low self-worth (OR = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.71-5.84) were risk factors of smoking in Thai
adolescents. Females (OR = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.04-0.24), currently studying in school (OR = 0.33, 95% CI =
0.18-0.59) and religious beliefs guide actions (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.22-0.77) were protective factors
against smoking.
Conclusion : Male adolescents are target group for tobacco control in Thailand. The strong correlation
between smoking and alcoholic consumption indicate that anti-smoking campaign should be done in paral-
lel with anti-alcohol campaign.
Keywords : Adolescent, Risk factors, Smoking
