Knowledge, Perception and Exposure Risk to Passive Smoking Among In-School Adolescents in Ibadan Southeast Local Government Area Nigeria

Abstract

Passive smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including hundreds that are toxic and about 70 that can cause cancer. This is because the smoke that burns off the end of a cigar or cigarette contains more harmful substances (tar, carbon monoxide, nicotine, among others) than the smoke inhaled by the smoker. The study investigated the determinants knowledge, perception and exposure risk to passive smoking among in-school Adolescents in Ibadan Southeast Local Government Area, Nigeria. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design. Multi stage sampling techniques were used to select four hundred and ten participants (414) among in-school Adolescents in Ibadan Southeast Local Government Area, Nigeria. The instrument was a self-report questionnaire to collect data in the study and was subjected to validation. Obtained data was analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency and percentages. Also, correlation analyses were used to test the hypothesis at 95% confidence level (α=0.05). Three research questions and two research hypotheses were tested in the study. The results showed that the mean age was 17.05±1.39 years. The result revealed that the majority of the participants 337(82.2%) had poor knowledge about passive smoking, while 73(17.8%) of the respondents had good knowledge about passive smoking. Also, the result revealed that the majority of the participants 165(40.2%) reported low exposure risk of passive smoking. Correlation analyses show that there is a significant relationship between adolescents’ knowledge and exposure risk to passive smoking among in-school adolescents in Ibadan southeast local government area (r=0.22; p=0.000). There is also a significant relationship between perception and exposure risk to passive smoking among in-school adolescents in Ibadan south east local government area (r=0.13; p=0.009). The study therefore concluded and recommended that training programmers’ should be provided to increase the adolescents’ awareness, change their perceptions, increase their ability to protect themselves and help to have a smoke-free environment.