THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCHOOL TEACHERS' TRAINING IN TOBACCO PREVENTION AND STUDENTS' RECEIPT OF CLASSROOM EDUCATION ABOUT THE HARMFULNESS OF TOBACCO USE: AN ECOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION STUDY
The critical role of school teachers in the successful implementation of school-based tobacco-use prevention programs cannot be overemphasized. However, while several studies have highlighted the role of healthcare professionals in preventing tobacco use among youths, the role of school teachers as authority figures has largely been ignored in several countries. Hence, this ecological study linked two surveillance systems of school teachers (the Global School Personnel Survey) and adolescent students (the Global Youth Tobacco Survey) from 43 countries to measure the impact of teachers’ receipt of training and access to tobacco-use prevention materials, on youths’ exposure to education in a classroom about the harmfulness of tobacco use.
METHODS:
Nationally representative data of adolescent students aged 13-15 years from 43 countries were obtained from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), corresponding data of school teachers of the target population of students were obtained from the Global School Personnel Survey (GSPS). Students’ past-year receipt of a class session was the primary outcome, and was regressed on the ecologic predictors (proportion of teachers who had access to tobacco educational materials and who received a past training in tobacco prevention and cessation) using logistic regression, and adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics.
RESULTS: For every 10% increase in the proportion of teachers that had received a past training on tobacco prevention among youths, students’ likelihood of receiving a class session about the harmfulness of tobacco use increased by about 6% (aOR=1.06; 95% CI:1.02-1.11). Similar results were obtained for teachers’ access to tobacco prevention and cessation materials.
CONCLUSIONS: Training of school teachers in tobacco prevention was associated with higher odds of students being taught about the dangers of tobacco use within school settings. Intensified efforts are needed to train teachers in tobacco cessation In line with Article 12 of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.