[Factors contributing to smoking among students in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)].
BACKGROUND
Smoking is of great concern to the international community because of the sharp increase in tobacco consumption among adolescents.


METHODS
We conducted a transverse descriptive study on 23 to 27 May 2006, on a sample of 500 smoking students randomly selected from secondary schools in the city of Ouagadougou, to identify their motivation with the aim of prevention.


RESULTS
The main factors encouraging smoking among students were: *Economic conditions: 64% came from a favourable economic environment with daily pocket money (100%) and a means of travel (74.8%). *Difficulties with their studies: 57.2% of smoking students had repeated at least one class and half had a class average lower than 10/20. *A smoking environment: 72% of smokers lived away from their parents, 46% of students had smoked in imitation of their colleagues. School was the preferred place for the consumption of cigarettes (67.9%). *The influence of the media: 80.8% were drawn into smoking by the influence of advertising.


CONCLUSIONS
Prevention programmes must take all these factors into account.
Service de Pédiatrie médicale, CHU pédiatrique Charles de Gaulle, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. kouetafla@yahoo.com
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D000293:Adolescent; D002050:Burkina Faso / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000639:trends*; D055815:Young Adult