ABSTRACT
This study aimed at exploring the socio-demographic characteristics associated with young adult smokers in the Tema Metropolitan Assembly. The study employed qualitative research approach through descriptive and exploratory means and employed questionnaires and semi-structured interviews as the main instruments for data collection. A total of 50 young adult who double as smokers formed the study population in the Tema Municipal Assembly. The study reveals that, socio demographic characteristics like age, gender, marital status, place of residence, presence of relations, neighbors and friends who are smokers influences the development of smoking habit amount young adult in the Tema vicinity.
Again, the study reveals that young adult smokers develop some form of behaviors like fighting, financial indiscipline, disrespectfulness, arrogance, authoritativeness, hatred, insensitivity, womanizing, and stealing after beginning to smoke.
Following on this, the study recommends that, the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service and the Government of Ghana (GoG) as well as managers of the city of Tema should develop strategies and programmes that will seek to sensitize young adult smokers on the negative consequences of smoking.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
The need to explore the socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics associated with smoking behavior among young adults is important to ensure they are easily identified and given the needed assistance. Identification of socio-demographic factors associated with smoking may also “help to underpin strategies for its prevention” (Rahman, Arif, Razak, Suhaili, Tambi, Akoi, Melissa, & Hussein, 2015). According to Gjonca and Calderwood (2004; 18), Socio- demographic characteristics refer to” characteristics about the population such as age, gender, marital status, household composition, living arrangements, ethnicity, education and occupation”. Anjos, Rodrigues, Pedrosa, Padiha, Gallani (2016), indicated that, socio- demographic characterization allows data to be collected on such attributes as age, gender, race, schooling, marital status, employment, and individual and monthly family income.
It is expected that some socio-demographic factors will have a relationship with smoking behavior among young adults. For instance, in Japan some studies have demonstrated a significant correlation between smoking behaviour and socio-demographic status particularly low education level (Hu, Sekene, Gaina, Nasermoaddeli, Kagamimori, & Sadanobu (2007). Other studies have also shown “that in many low-and middle-income countries, women smoke much less than men (Xianglong, LiU, Sharma, & Zhao, 2015). According to a survey, it was estimated that men smoked nearly five times as much as women worldwide (Xianglong et al., 2015).
This information is consistent with the findings of the Center for Disease Control, (2011) which estimates that 21.5% males and 17.3% females currently smoke in the US, with 78% of them being people who smoke every day.
Youth smoking behaviour is the object of both extensive public-policy interest and academic research (Azad, Hosssian and Parven (2011). Due to the detrimental effects of smoking and its link to crime, smoking particularly among the youth is a concern for many nations all around the world. “Smoking is a major public health problem in the developing world” and despite thousands of scientific studies that have established the carcinogenic and other health effects of smoking, the number of smokers keep increasing (Rahman et al., 2015). “Understanding factors associated with smoking is critical for reducing the negative health burden of smoking, especially among young adults, as one in three people under the age of 26 years smoke cigarettes and 2500 occasional smokers under 26 become regular smokers each day” (Fitz, Kaufman, & Moore, 2015). According to Smith (2018, p.2), “globally, 942 million men and 175 million women ages 15 or older are current smokers
Studies have shown that young adults mostly aged 18-25 years “represent the highest risk group for smoking” (Song, & Ling, 2011). In the opinion of Song and Ling, (2011), it is necessary to be concerned about young adult smokers because they are more likely to abandon smoking than older adult smokers. More importantly, the quest for young adults to quit smoking is imperative for the reason that “cessation before age 30 virtually avoids all long-term ill effects of smoking” (Song, & Ling, 2011). Few studies have been conducted on smoking among non-college- educated young adult population which suggests that smoking behaviour among young adults is a much stronger predictor of smoking in later life for those with less formal education (Green, Kristen, McCausland, Xiao, Duke, & Vallone, 2007).
Owusu-Dabo, Lewis, McNeill, Glimore, and Britton (2009), are of the view that because British American Tobacco has had a manufacturing presence in Ghana for almost 50 years, there is likely to be a relatively high risk of involvement in the tobacco epidemic in Ghana. In terms of behavioral characteristic of young adult smokers, “studies have shown that smokers tend to be extroverted, anxious, tense, and impulsive and show more traits of newroticism and psychoticism than do ex-smokers and nonsmokers” (Rondina, Gorayeb, & Bothelho, 2007).
Problem Statement
In the view of Martin (2018), smoking has reached epidemic proportions worldwide, and despite efforts to reduce smoking trends, the problem seems to be getting worse. According to Martin (2018, p. 1) “about 6.5 trillion cigarettes are sold around the world each year which translates into about 18 billion cigarettes per day”. Smith (2018) made a list of 20 countries that smoke the most and those that smoke the least. The countries that smoke the most in order of importance are Andorra, Luxembourg, Belarus, Macedonia, Albania, Belgium, Czech Republic, Jordan, Russia, Syria, Slovenia, Greece, Hungary, China, Lebanon, Armenia, Mongolia, Cyprus, Austria and Georgia whiles the countries that smoke the least include Brunei, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Ghana, Antigua and Barbuda, India, Swaziland, Ecuador, Rwanda, Peru, Guatemala. Ethiopia, Niger, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, and Zambia.
This list shows that people in African countries actually smoke less than in other continents. However, Owusu-Dabo, Lewis, McNeill, Glimore, and Britton (2009) posit that developing countries are at high risk of epidemic increases in tobacco smoking even though there is limited data on smoking in these countries. The extent of the problem of tobacco smoking in developing countries is therefore not clearly defined. According to Araújo, Azevedo, Albertino Damasceno, and Lunet (2011, p.153) “in Sub-Saharan Africa smoking of manufactured cigarettes tends to be
more frequent among urban dwellers while subjects living in rural areas are more often consumers of smokeless tobacco and hand-rolled cigarettes”.
The prevalence of smoking particularly in young adults is a cause for concern because the deleterious health consequences of smoking are well established (Gough, Fry, Grogan & Cornner, 2009). According to Khan, Huq, Afrin and Rahman (2014), people who start smoking early have a greater risk of lung cancer. Reports show that almost 5 million people die annually from smoking related diseases and this number is expected to double by 2020 (Khan et al., 2014). The understanding of the patterns and dynamics of tobacco consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa is essential to develop and monitor locale-specific control strategies (Araújo et al., 2011, p.153).
The problem of smoking among young adults is one that deserves a lot of attention because as Azad et al. (2011) put it “most smokers start young and youth smoking often is being translated into adult smoking, with the well-known consequences of morbidity and mortality”. Studies have also shown that quitting smoking is more realistic among young adults than adults; making young adults an ideal prime target for smoking prevention and cessation initiatives (Song & Ling, 2011). Research has revealed that young adult smoking is associated with certain socio- demographic characteristics Khan et al., (2014). As a result, the need to identify vulnerable young adults and those who have already started smoking by using socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics is of principal importance today. There is therefore the need for research exploring the role socio-demographic variables play in making young adults adopt smoking behaviours as well as a study of the behavioural characteristics associated with the smoking behaviour of young adults.
