Knowledge about and sources of smoking-related knowledge, and influencing factors among male urban secondary school students in Chongqing, China

OBJECTIVES This study examined smoking-related knowledge, sources of smoking-related knowledge and its influencing factor among male urban secondary school students. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey, using a self-administered questionnaire, among 1297 male secondary school students in municipal areas of Chongqing, China. RESULTS Non-smokers had a better knowledge of smoking hazards than smokers. Less than 20% of students knew that smoking can cause heart disease, peptic ulcer, and cerebral stroke. Sources of smoking-related knowledge differed between smokers and non-smokers, respectively: TV (76.5 vs. 76.7%), teacher (70.1 vs. 62.4%), social network (66.6 vs. 73.1%), parents (57.0 vs. 59.2%), newspaper (55.4 vs. 61.6%), and friends (37.7 vs. 33.9%). Non-smokers' hobbies of reading were significantly higher than smokers' (χ2 = 11.5845, p = 0.0007). Smokers' hobbies of online games (χ2 = 14.9106, p = 0.0001), and sports (χ2 = 4.8609, p = 0.0275) were significantly higher than non-smokers'. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) found that students whose both father and mother smoke were unable to receive tobacco-related knowledge. GEE also found that students in high school, with affluent family economic condition and with an opposing attitude towards father smoking possessed a better smoking-related knowledge. However, male students with disagreement or neutral attitude towards friends smoking were negatively associated with the knowledge of smoking hazards. CONCLUSIONS The findings of the present study suggest that a significant proportion of male secondary school students in urban Chongqing lack specific knowledge about smoking-related diseases. Targeted educational programs for secondary school students in China are needed to promote tobacco control and tobacco use reduction and cessation among students.