Prevalence of tobacco use and passive exposure among adolescent athletes aged 13–14 years in Türkiye: A cross-sectional study
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Youth smoking and passive exposure is a serious public health problem. This study examined the prevalence of tobacco use and passive exposure to smoke among adolescent athletes. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted in Ankara, Türkiye, in 2023. It was based on the survey data from 201 licensed athletes, of whom 36.3% were female and 63.7% were male, aged 13–14 years, residing in Ankara province. The respondents were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their use of tobacco products and exposure to secondhand smoke. RESULTS The mean age of the respondents was 13.4 ± 0.5 years, with a mean sports age of 3.2 ± 2.0 years. Among the athletes, 92% (n=185) reported they never used tobacco products, 7.0% (n=14) tried, 0.5% (n=1) quit using tobacco products, and 0.5% (n=1) currently smoke tobacco. Among the adolescents, 59.2% reported passive exposure to tobacco smoke inside and 71.1% outside the home. The rates of daily secondhand smoking (≥1 h or 0.05), but weekly passive exposure was significantly higher in male athletes (67.0% vs 33.0%, p<0.05), as was no exposure (female: 34.1%, male: 65.9%, p<0.05). Among all athletes, 46.7% reported that at least one of their parents smoked, while 19.9% reported that both parents smoked. CONCLUSIONS Tobacco use among adolescent athletes in Türkiye is minimal, yet passive smoking is a significant concern. Given the high prevalence of passive smoke exposure reported among adolescent athletes, particularly at home…
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