Smoking Frequency and some Related Factors among High School Students of Kashan City, Iran.

Aims The dramatic increase of smoking in adolescents has become one of the major challenges in most countries and it needs further consideration. The aim of this study was to determine the smoking prevalence and some related factors among high school students. Instrument & Methods This descriptive, cross-sectional study was done in 2012-13 academic year in male and female high school students of Kashan City, Iran and 328 students were selected by multi-stage random cluster sampling method. Data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire which had three parts; demographic data, history of smoking in the family, and ways of smoking. Data analysis was done using Chi-square and ANOVA tests. Findings 19.3% (52 students) of the high school students of Kashan City, Iran, were smokers; 41 boys (20.2%) and 11 girls (8.8%). Smoking had significant relations with sex, grade and having a smoker in the family. 30.3% of the students had a cigarette smoker and 32.40% had a hookah smoker in their family. Hookah was the most prevalent tobacco product. Friends (47.8% in boys and 10.4% in girls) and then relatives (13.4% in boys and 8.2% in girls) contributed to students' smoking. Conclusion Smoking hookah and cigarette have a high prevalence in sophomore and junior high school boys and having a smoker family member or friend is a main risk factor of start smoking in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]