title: Prevalence of tobacco use and its contributing factors among adolescents in Bangladesh: Results from a population-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tobacco use is an alarming public health problem worldwide and causes significant morbidity and mortality. In many developing countries tobacco use starts at a relative younger age. However, data on tobacco use among adolescents in Bangladesh is scarce.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The main objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of tobacco use and its contributing factors among adolescents in Bangladesh.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) Bangladesh 2007 which was a school-based survey of 2,135 students aged 13-15 years in grades 7-10.
  
  
  METHODS
  A two-stage cluster sample design was used to produce representative data for Bangladesh. At the first stage, schools were selected with probability proportional to enrollment size. At the second stage, classes were randomly selected and all students in selected classes were eligible to participate. The GYTS sample design produced representative, independent, cross-sectional estimates for Bangladesh.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of ever cigarette smokers in Bangladeshi students was about 9%, which was more than 3 times higher in boys compared to girls (15.8% versus 4.8%). Almost 4 in 10 students start smoking before the age of 10 in Bangladesh. In addition to current cigarette smoking, another 6% also reported to use other tobacco products currently. Nine in 10 current smokers reported that they had ever received help to stop smoking. More than 4 in 10 students were exposed to smoke from other people in public places. Among current smokers, 38.3% reported that they usually buy tobacco in a store and of which 97.8% reported that they were not refused cigarette purchase because of their age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implementation and enforcement of tobacco control act is an urgent public health priority in Bangladesh.
authors.affiliation: International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research-Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Center for International Health, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Sheikh Mohammed Shariful
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.affiliation: International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research-Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: A K M
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Mainuddin
authors.affiliation: International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research-Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Faiz Ahmed
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Bhuiyan
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Control of Rheumatic Fever and Heart Disease, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Kamrun Nahar
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
keywords: Adolescents; Bangladesh; Global Youth Tobacco Survey; low- and middle-income countries; prevalence; tobacco use