Tamika D. Gilreath, MS¹, Pamela A Kaduri, MD², Gad Paul Kilonzo, MMed, FRCP³, Jessie Mbwambo, MD², Gary King, PhD⁴, Alan J. Flisher, PhD⁵, and Stephen Matthews, PhD⁶. (1) Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, 315 E Health and Human Development, University Park, PA 16801, 814-865-8410, tdg132@psu.edu, (2) Department of Psychiatry, Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 65293, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, (3) Department of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences, Muhimbili University, P.O. Box 65466, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, (4) Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, 315 E. Henderson Bldg, University Park, PA 16802, (5) Department of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory 7925, RSA, CapeTown, Western Cape Province, South Africa, (6) Social Sciences Research, Pennsylvania State University, 0802 Oswald Tower, University Park, PA 16802

Several studies have identified social networks as determinants of adolescent smoking, but few have focused on developing nations in Africa where youth smoking prevalence is rapidly increasing. A multi-stage sampling design was used to select students in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The students completed a self-administered questionnaire, which included socio-demographic and tobacco use questions. Of the 3816 students included in this analysis, 310 (8.1%) were ever smokers. Of the students who reported ever smoking, approximately 67% were male, 64.8% had smoked by age 12, and 70.6% had smoked in the last 30 days. Logistic regression was used to determine significant predictors of age of smoking initiation and smoking in the last 30 days for those students who had ever smoked. Students who reported that their father engaged in self-employment (OR = 3.8, 95% CI = 1.2-11.9) were significantly more likely than students whose fathers were absent to begin smoking at 12 years old or less. Those that reported their fathers engaged in paid (OR = 3.5, 95% CI = 1.2-10.7) or self-employment (OR = 4.0, 95% CI = 1.2-13.0) were significantly more likely to have smoked in the last 30 days than students whose fathers were absent. Students whose fathers were non-smokers (OR = .42, 95% CI = .18-.97) were significantly less likely to smoke in the last 30 days than those that reported their fathers did smoke. The results of this study can be useful in developing community-based prevention programs, which focus on parental influences on adolescent tobacco use.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this session the participant will be able to

• Discuss social network influences on adolescent tobacco use.
• Identify interventions and tobacco control policies to prevent smoking among adolescents in Tanzania and other developing countries.
• Recognize the need for further research on adolescent smoking in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Discuss the implications of this research for global tobacco control.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.