Psychosocial predictors of smoking among secondary school students in Henan, China

The objective of this study was to measure the risk factors associated with tobacco use among secondary school students in Henan, China. Self-reported questionnaires were administered to four secondary schools; 3519 students were studied including 1799 boys and 1720 girls aged 10-19. Demographic, behavioral, attitudinal/belief, knowledge and interpersonal variables were investigated. Overall, 15.1% of boys and 1.4% girls reported smoking at least occasionally. Smoking onset is most prevalent from the ages of 10-14. The smoking rate increased with age. The likelihood of tobacco use was significantly higher among those having peers, teachers or mother who smoked. Positive smoking-related attitudes among students had a significant association with their smoking status. The results suggest that effective smoking prevention interventions need to be comprehensive and implemented in the early teen years.