title: Exploring an effective tobacco prevention programme for Indian adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tobacco use is among the most significant public health issues faced by the world today. It is estimated that approximately 5500 adolescents start using tobacco every day in India, adding to the four million youths aged <15 years who are already regular users. School-based smoking prevention programmes have been shown to increase knowledge about the negative effects of tobacco and prevent tobacco use, but the majority of evidence on effectiveness comes from Western countries. This study investigated the impact of a school-based short-term educational intervention regarding tobacco use on adolescents' knowledge, attitudes, intentions and behaviours (KAIB) in Bangalore, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  An intervention trial was conducted among 720 adolescents aged 15-16 years in Bangalore, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Educational interventions were imparted to all study subjects in a phased manner, along with two interactive sessions held six months apart. The impact of the programme was measured using questionnaires administered before the first intervention (pre-intervention) and after the second intervention (post-intervention).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean (±standard deviation) pre-intervention KAIB scores of the subjects were 5.9 ± 1.87 (knowledge), 23.6 ± 3.15 (attitude) and 18.9 ± 3.27 (practice), which improved to 7.8 ± 2.01, 26.7 ± 2.43 and 12.3 ± 2.52, respectively, postintervention. The differences in mean KAIB scores were significant (P < 0.0001, df = 1400), suggesting that the intervention had a major positive impact.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  School-based short-term educational intervention programmes are effective for preventing and reducing tobacco use among Indian adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New-Delhi, India. Electronic address: ver.aditi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, M.R. Ambedkar Dental College & Hospital, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Muddaiah
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Oxford Dental College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krishna Murthy
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, M.R. Ambedkar Dental College & Hospital, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012572:School Health Services; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: Effective; Indian adolescent; Prevention; Tobacco