Patterns of smoking among adolescents in Malaysia and Thailand: findings from the International Tobacco Control Southeast Asia survey.
At present, 70% of the world's 1.1 billion smokers are in developing countries, with over 50% in Asia alone. The current study examined patterns of youth smoking in Thailand and Malaysia. Respondents were 2002 youths between the ages of 13 and 17 from Thailand (n = 1000) and Malaysia (n = 1002). Respondents were selected using a multistage cluster sampling design and surveyed between January 2005 and March 2005. Approximately 3% of youth between the ages of 13 and 17 were current smokers, with an additional 10% to 12% reporting experimental smoking. Males were between 7 and 15 times more likely to report smoking behavior than females. Less than 1% of females respondents in either country met the criteria for current smoking, and less than 5% met the criteria for experimental smoking. In contrast, more than 50% Thai males and approximately one-third of Malaysian males aged 17 met the criteria for either experimental or current smoking.
Hammond
David
D
Department of Health Studies and Gerontology, University of Waterloo. dhammond@uwaterloo.ca
Kin
Foong
F
Prohmmo
Aree
A
Kungskulniti
Nipapun
N
Lian
Tan Y
TY
Sharma
Sharad K
SK
Sirirassamee
Buppha
B
Borland
Ron
R
Fong
Geoffrey T
GT
D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011640:Public Policy; D012424:Rural Population; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population