Prevalence and Determinants of Tobacco use Among Pre-University College Students, Bangalore, India

Aim: To assess the prevalence and determinants of tobacco use among the Pre-University College (PUC) students of Bangalore. Material and Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out among 1450 Government PUC students of Marathahalli, Bangalore. A self administered questionnaire modified from Global Youth Tobacco Survey 2007 (GYTS) was used to collect data. The data was analysed using SPSS version 17. Descriptive statistics that included mean and percentages were calculated for each of the categories. Results: 1443(99.5%) students had heard about tobacco. 124 (8.6%) students used tobacco in one or other form. Cigarette was the most common form known to the students. About 40% admitted that they were influenced by their friends to use tobacco. About 1247(86%) of the students admitted that they were willing to quit tobacco if assistance was provided. Conclusion: Prevalence of tobacco use among Government PU colleges was 8.6%. There is the need for effective awareness and intervention programs to prevent and control tobacco use among college students.