Prevalence and determinants of adolescent cigarette smoking in Mongolia

INTRODUCTION: Cigarette smoking is the single most important risk factor for non-communicable chronic medical conditions. Estimating the prevalence of cigarette smoking and its determinants will aid in the design, implementation and evaluation of public health interventions. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence and determinants of smoking among school-going adolescents in Mongolia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using standardised methodology was conducted among school-going adolescents in 2003 in Mongolia. RESULTS: 4,105 adolescents (mean age 14.1 years, standard deviation 0.8 year) participated in the study. Approximately 55 percent were females, 30.4 percent of the study population was 15 years old, 63.5 percent had never smoked and 93.2 percent perceived tobacco as harmful. About 58 percent had parents, and 52 percent had friends, who were smokers. The prevalence of current cigarette smoking was 9.2 percent; 15.4 percent among males versus 4.4 percent among females. Cigarette smoking was associated with the male gender, parental and peer influence and having spending power. The perception that smoking was harmful to health was associated with lower odds of smoking. CONCLUSION: Cigarette smoking is prevalent among school-going adolescents in Mongolia. There is a need to implement public health interventions, with special attention to the determinants of smoking in this age group.