title: Tobacco use and associated factors among school students in Dubai, 2010: intervention study.
abstract: Tobacco smoking is an emerging problem among adolescents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to measure the prevalence of current tobacco use and its associated factors among school students in Dubai Emirate and to determine the impact of an intervention programme on knowledge and attitudes towards tobacco use. A school-based intervention programme was carried out among 2457 students aged 10-20 years and data were collected with a self-administered questionnaire. Of the students, 14.6% were tobacco users, mostly cigarettes (11.2%) and waterpipes (2.2%). The most common self-reported reasons for smoking were for the experience (29.4%), for stress relief (22.5%) and because their peers smoked (21.9%). Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that the predictors of tobacco use were: male, higher age, UAE national, higher school level, government school, low knowledge about tobacco and family history of smoking. There were significant improvements in knowledge and attitudes scores after the health education intervention programme.
authors: Primary Health Care, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors: H A
authors: HA
authors: Obaid
authors: Primary Health Care, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Hassan
authors: Primary Health Care, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors: N H
authors: NH
authors: Mahdy
authors: Primary Health Care, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors: M I
authors: MI
authors: ElDisouky
authors: Primary Health Care, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors: F E
authors: FE
authors: Alzarba
authors: Primary Health Care, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors: S R
authors: SR
authors: Alnayeemi
authors: Primary Health Care, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors: M C
authors: MC
authors: Rillera
authors: Primary Health Care, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors: B S
authors: BS
authors: AlMazrooei
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014479:United Arab Emirates / Q000453:epidemiology