Methodology of Isfahan Tobacco Use Prevention Program: First Phase

Background. Tobacco use continues to be the leading global cause of preventable death. The majority of smokers begin using tobacco products at teen ages. The aims of this study were providing a methodology of Isfahan Tobacco Use Prevention Program and investigating the prevalence of tobacco use and its related factors. Method. It was a cross-sectional study among guidance and high school students in Isfahan province. Initiation, social, psychological (depression and self-efficacy), family, and attitudinal and belief factors and school policy toward smoking (cigarettes and water-pipe) were investigated. Saliva qutinin was given from 5% of participants for determination of accuracy of responses. A self-administered anonymous questionnaire was used for gathering all data. Results. Of all 5500 questionnaires distributed, about 5408 completed questionnaires were returned (with response rate of 98.3%). Of all participants, 2702 (50.0%) were girls and 2706 (50.0%) were boys. Respectively, 4811 (89.0%) and 597 (11.0%) were from urban and rural. Of all participants, 2445 (45.2%) were guidance school and 2962 (54.8%) were high school students. Conclusion. This study will provide a unique opportunity to study prevalence of smoking cigarettes and water-pipe (ghelyan) among guidance and high school students in Isfahan province and determine the role of initiation, social, psychological, family, and attitudinal and belief factors and school policy toward smoking. 1. Introduction Tobacco use continues to be the leading global cause of preventable death and this disparity is expected to widen further over the next several decades. If current trends continue, by 2030 tobacco will kill more than 8 million people and cause hundreds of billions of dollars of economic damage worldwide each year, with 80% of these premature deaths among people living in low- and middle-income countries [1, 2]. Data on global tobacco use behavior shows that in many developed countries, the vast majority of smokers begin using tobacco products before the age of 18 years [3, 4]. There is some evidence in hand that, in Iran, more than one-third of ever smokers have tried their first cigarette before age 10. Recent trends indicate rising smoking prevalence rates among children and adolescents and earlier age of initiation. If these patterns continue, tobacco use will be the cause of 250 million children and adolescents deaths who are alive today, many of them in developing countries [4]. In addition to rising cigarette smoking, in Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO) another problem exists which