Change in Tobacco Use Among 13-15 Year Olds Worldwide between 1999 and 2012—findings from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey

Ridgway, Emily

Change in Tobacco Use Among 13-15 Year Olds Worldwide between 1999 and 2012—findings from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey

Monday, 18 August 2014: 4:45 PM

Boardroom (Dena'ina Center)

Emily Ridgway , US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA

Martine Chaussard , US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA

Kyung Ah Lee , US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA

Candace Kirksey-Jones , US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA

Nivo Ramanandraibe , World Health Organization, Brazzaville, Congo-Brazzaville

Heba Fouad , World Health Organization, Cairo-Nasr City, Egypt

Roberta Caixeta , World Health Organization, Washington, DC

Rula Khoury , World Health Organization, Copenhagen, Denmark

Dhirendra Sinha , World Health Organization, New Delhi, India

James Rarick , World Health Organization, Manila, Philippines

INTRODUCTION:

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the world, and understanding levels and patterns of youth tobacco use is important to assess the expansion and evolution of the epidemic and progress of tobacco control measures.

METHODS:

The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) is a nationally representative school-based survey of students 13-15 years of age, using a consistent and standard protocol across countries. A weighting factor is applied to each sampling unit to adjust for non-response and t-tests are used to determine differences in subpopulations. GYTS samples produce representative, cross-sectional estimates that are comparable within and across countries.

RESULTS:

One-hundred and twenty-nine countries have conducted more than one round of GYTS. One-hundred of 126 countries that collected information on current cigarette smoking reported no change over time in overall prevalence, 4 reported an increase, and 22 reported a decrease. Seventy-three of 122 countries that collected information on current other tobacco use reported no change over time in overall prevalence, 40 reported an increase, and 9 reported a decrease. Regions with a notable proportion of countries reporting an increase in other tobacco use are the European Region (11 of 24 countries), the Region of the Americas (13 of 31 countries), and the South-East Asia Region (3 of 8 countries). Ninety-eight of 123 countries that collected information on current any tobacco use reported no change over time in overall prevalence, 10 reported an increase, and 15 reported a decrease.

CONCLUSIONS:

Almost one-third of countries with data on current other tobacco use reported an increase. Global trends in youth tobacco use, like increases in other tobacco use, are crucial indicators of the evolution of the tobacco epidemic and the future burden of disease caused by tobacco, so that tobacco control measures can be implemented accordingly.