Factors associated with initiation of tobacco use among adolescent students of moradabad, (U.P) India

Tobacco consumption is a major health menace owing to its widespread use particularly among adolescents. Impressionable curious minds of adolescents are highly prone to a numbcr of influences within and outside home, which leads them to experiment with tobacco. The addictive nature of tobacco is potent enough to turn these experimental users to regular users and ultimately addicts.The aim of the study is to identify factors associated with initiation of tobacco use among adolescents of Moradabad. Two stage sampling method was used to recruit 1770 adolescents {study population} from 8 senior secondary schools in Moradabad. The response toward tobacco, and its use, was assessed through structured questionnaires. Responses of all study population and association between dependent and ex- planatory variables were assessed using x2 test (chi-square test) using SPSS package. Results show that 17.3% of the adolescents have experimented with tobacco. Curiosity and peer pressure were the main reason for trying tobacco. Parental tobacco status especially location of use {either at home or outside} had a significant influence on adolescents experimenting with tobacco. Tobacco use by parents is likely to influence adolescents, as they perceive tobacco use as a positive and acceptable behavior, and develop favorable personal beliefs and subjective norms towards tobacco use.