Tobacco use among 11-16 years old students of Sousse Tunisia in 2020: a cross sectional study with the GYTS method

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Despite tobacco control prevention programs, many adolescents start smoking at school age. The main objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of smoking, secondhand smoke exposure, and susceptibility to smoking among middle-school students aged 11-16 years, using the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), in Sousse, Tunisia, 2020. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted among 306 students aged 11-16 years enrolled in 12 classes from 2 public middle schools in Sousse, Tunisia, during the school year 2020-2021. The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) self-administered questionnaire on smoking was used to assess their smoking habits. RESULTS In total, 35.3% of students reported that they had tried cigarettes in the past, while 17.6% reported currently