Global Study on Tobacco Use among Youth in the Kyrgyz Republic Republic (GYTS, 2019)

The aim of the study was to assess the situation related to tobacco consumption among adolescents aged 13 – 15 in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Materials and Methods. The study used a two-stage selection of schoolchildren in grades 7 – 9 (teenagers 13 – 15 years old) to conduct the survey. At the 1^st stage, information was collected about all schools of the republic, where children of the target group study. the schools in which the survey was subsequently conducted were selected by the statistical sampling method according to the number of students in grades 7 – 9. The grades whose students participated in the questionnaire were set at stage 2 by random sampling in each school The survey includes 43 questions from the Standard main Questionnaire of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) and 30 supplementary questions (73 in total) with multiple choice of answers. The statistical processing was performed using the SUDAAN software package (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); a 95% confidence interval was calculated to calculate weighted prevalence estimates and standard errors (SE).

Results. The survey found that 6.0% of schoolchildren (9.5% of boys and 2.4% of girls) currently use various types of tobacco; 4.4% of schoolchildren currently use tobacco (6.8% of boys and 2.0% of girls); 2.4% of schoolchildren smoke cigarettes; 2.4% use smokeless tobacco, 2.8% use other tobacco products (hookah); 2.8% of schoolchildren smoke electronic cigarettes (3.9% of boys and 1.7% of girls). Tobacco use most often begins before age 7 or after age 12. 16.8% of schoolchildren are exposed to tobacco smoke at home, of which 14.2% are in closed places and 14.8% in open public places. 87.2% of schoolchildren purchase cigarettes in a shop, kiosk, from a street vendor, and in the market. During the visit to the point of sale 26.7% noticed tobacco advertising and promotions; 49.7% saw anti-tobacco messages in the mass media. Definitely think that smoking tobacco by other people is bad for them, 71.2% of schoolchildren.

Conclusion. A high percentage of teenagers consuming e-cigarettes, hookah, and smokeless tobacco products has been noted, although > 50% of them are aware of the dangers of tobacco use. Every 6^th student is a passive smoker. The vast majority of schoolchildren aged 13 – 15 who try to quit smoking do not receive professional help in quitting tobacco use, and are exposed to protobacco media marketing campaigns.

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