Youth Tobacco Survey in the Philippines

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Youth Tobacco Survey in the Philippines

• Global Youth Tobacco Survey Phase I, 2000
• Marina Miguel-Baquilod, MD, MSc Epi
• GYTS Coordinator

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Acknowledgement
Dr. Leland Aromin Ms. Ida Osias Dr.
Leticia Cabrera Dr. Ma. Theresa
Sanchez Dr. Juliana Marcelo Ms. Teresita de
la Cruz Dr. Rosenda Ramos Dr. Sulpicio
Legaspi Dr. Myrna Suratos Dr. Annabel
Yumang Ms. Sharon Compas Dr. Melissa
Poot Dr. Ma. May Mucho Dr. Cesar
Cassion Dr. Judith Tawatao Ms. Elizabeth
Lagurin
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Acknowledgement

• WHO-Tobacco Free Initiative/ HQ and WPRO
• Office on Smoking and Health, US-CDC
• Department of Education-Bureau of Secondary
  Schools
• Dr. Susan Pineda-Mercado

• Former Non-Communicable Disease Control Service,
  DOH
• Essential National Health Research Program, DOH
• Regional Directors Anti-Smoking Program
  Coordinators

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Health Consequences of Tobacco

• 1998 4 million tobacco-related deaths
• 2020 8.5 million tobacco-related deaths
• (70 from developing countries- WHO Report 1999)
• 1990-2000 CVD, CAs, and COPDs are top leading
  causes of deaths
• 1999 Php46B lost due to smoking-related
  illnesses and deaths (½ of total health
  expenditures-Monograph on Smoking)

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• Youth are particularly vulnerable to become
  tobacco addicts.

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Global Youth Tobacco Survey Objectives

• To monitor tobacco use among school-based
  adolescents
• To assess students tobacco-related knowledge,
  attitudes and behaviors

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Major IndicatorsYouth Tobacco Survey

• Prevalence of tobacco use (cigarettes and other
  products)
• Access to tobacco products
• Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)
• Exposure to media messages and school lessons
• Beliefs and attitudes regarding tobacco use

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Survey Methods

• School-based
• Target population
• 2nd to 4th year high school students
• Self-administered multiple choice questionnaire

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Sampling Design

• Two-stage cluster survey
• Stage 1 150 schools selected (PPS)
• Luzon 50
• Visayas 50
• Mindanao 50
• Stage 2 at least 40 students selected per
  school (random selection of classes)
• Minimum total sample size 6,000 students

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Data Collection and Analysis

• Trained Regional Anti-Smoking Coordinators
  implemented standard survey protocol
• Anonymous and voluntary student participation
• Self-recorded responses on machine-readable
  answer sheets
• Answer sheets read and data encoded at CDC,
  Atlanta
• Dataset analyzed at National Epidemiology Center,
  DOH

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Results - Demographics

• Number of respondents 11,630
• Age 12 - 18 years, median 14
• Gender
• Female 57
• Male 43
• Year Level
• Sophomore 38
• Junior 32
• Senior 30

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Proportion of Respondents who Ever
SmokedPhilippine YTS, 2000
I 95 CI
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Proportion of Respondents who Ever
SmokedGYTS-WPR, 2000
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Proportion of Respondents who Currently
SmokePhilippine YTS, 2000
I 95 CI
15
Proportion of Respondents who Currently
SmokeGYTS-WPR, 2000
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Proportion of Respondents Currently Using
Tobacco ProductsPhilippine YTS, 2000
I 95 CI
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Proportion of Respondents Currently Using
Tobacco ProductsGYTS-WPR, 2000
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Sources of Cigarettes of Current Youth
SmokersPhilippine YTS, 2001
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Places where Current Youth Smokers
SmokedPhilippine YTS, 2001
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Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke

• At home 60 exposed to smokers
• 59 have parents who smoke
• Outside home 75 exposed to smokers
• 11 have friends who smoke

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Exposure to Tobacco-related Messages

• Pro-Smoking Influence
• 85 exposed to pro-smoking messages
• 18 had tobacco promotional materials
• 18 offered free cigarettes by tobacco sales reps

• Anti-Smoking Influence
• 83 exposed to anti-smoking messages
• 65 taught ill effects of smoking

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Positive Indicators for Anti-Smoking Campaign

• 72 think cigarette smoking is harmful
• 72 think cigarette smoking makes one less
  attractive
• 85 of current smokers want to stop smoking

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Challenges for Anti-Smoking Campaign

• 27 of non-smokers are likely to initiate smoking
• Only 39 agree that smoking should be banned from
  public places
• Only 6 of those who wish to quit smoking had
  access to professional help

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Conclusions

• High prevalence of tobacco use among the youth
• Frequent exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke
• Youth have easy access to tobacco products
• Lack of access to smoking cessation programs

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Recommendations

• Stronger anti-smoking legislation
• Increase tobacco taxes
• Ban sale of tobacco products to and by minors
• Advertising ban
• Implement Clean Air Act
• Prohibit smoking in public places

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Recommendations

• Strengthen IEC campaign on health effects of
  tobacco
• Initiate smoking cessation program in schools
• Continue monitoring tobacco use among the
  population

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If younger adults turn away from smoking, the
tobacco industry will decline, just as a
population which does not give birth will
eventually dwindle.
RJ Reynolds, 1984