title: Gender differences in the prevalence and determinants of tobacco use among school-aged adolescents (11-17 years) in Sudan and South Sudan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tobacco use is one of the leading and preventable causes of global morbidities and premature mortalities. The study explores gender differences in the prevalence and determinants of tobacco use among school-aged adolescents (11-17 years) in Sudan and South Sudan.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study utilized the national Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) data collected in 2005 for Sudan (4,277 unweighted; 131,631 weighted). Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted to examine the associations between the dependent (tobacco use status) and independent variables. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the key factors which influence tobacco consumption among adolescents in the 2 Sudans for ever cigarette users, current cigarette users, and users of noncigarette tobacco products.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant gender differences in the prevalence of ever cigarette users (21.8%; male=13.1%, female=6.5%, p<0.05) and current cigarette users (6.9%; male=4.9%, female = 1.3%, p<0.05) but not among users of noncigarette tobacco products (14.7%; male=6.8%, female=6.1%). Adolescent tobacco use was significantly associated with availability of monthly income or allowance, exposure to tobacco industry promotions, and tobacco-use behavior of familial relations. Knowledge about the harmful effects of secondhand smoke was related with decreased likelihood of tobacco use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  School programs that focus on health messages alone may not work for the adolescent population. Legislations that ban all types of tobacco advertisements, promotions, and sponsorships among adolescents are needed in the 2 countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Dominic Odwa
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Atari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000329:Advertising; D002648:Child; D003146:Communications Media; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012744:Sex Ratio; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013397:Sudan / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Adolescents; South Sudan; Sudan; cigarette; prevalence; tobacco