Prevalence and Pattern of Smoking Among Youths in Ilorin East Local Government Area, Kwara State, Nigeria

Scientific research has associated smoking with a wide variety of health problems, including reduced life expectancy. An estimated 4 million people worldwide die from smoking cigarettes each year. Between February and March 2020, 300 youths in Ilorin East LGA participated in a descriptive cross-sectional study. Researchers regarded a p-value of less than 0.05 (p < 0.05) as statistically significant and maintained a 95% confidence level. They found that the respondents had a mean age of 23.6 ± 4.7 years, with nearly half (42.3%) falling in the 21–25 age range and approximately two-thirds (77.3%) female. With a mean age of 23.6±4.7 years, nearly half of the respondents (42.3%) are in the 21–25 year age range, and roughly two-thirds (77.3%) are female. About half of the respondents (49.3%) smoke, with half of them smoking once a week (49.3%); nearly three-quarters of the respondents (73.3%) and (70.0%) had positive attitudes and knowledge regarding cigarette smoking. Most respondents (9.7%) agreed that their religion prohibits smoking, while 85.3% believed that peer pressure. The majority of respondents (9.7%) acknowledged that their religion prohibits smoking, and 85.3% agreed that peer pressure plays a role in encouraging young people to smoke. The respondents' smoking habits and sociodemographic characteristics correlate significantly (p<0.05). The majority of the youth in this survey who smoked had good knowledge and attitudes toward tobacco cigarettes, with a 49.3% prevalence rate. Religious beliefs, peer pressure, and parental smoking are all associated with the habit of smoking. A statistically significant correlation (p<0.05) exists between the respondents' smoking behaviour and sociodemographic traits.