Table 2.
Adolescents’ beliefs and attitudes toward smoking by their smoking status and sex, Madinah, Al Madinah Region, Saudi Arabia
| Beliefs and attitudes | Smokers* n (%) | Nonsmokers† n (%) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belief that smoking is harmful to health | |||
| All subjects | 953 (87.0) | 2,026 (91.0) | 0.001‡ |
| Males | 587 (88.0) | 934 (87.0) | 0.57 |
| Females | 366 (89.0) | 1,092 (95.0) | <.0001‡ |
| Belief that smoking affects body weight | |||
| All subjects | 720 (66.0) | 1,429 (64.0) | 0.42 |
| Males | 456 (67.0) | 680 (63.0) | 0.03‡ |
| Females | 264 (64.0) | 749 (63.5) | 0.27 |
| Belief that boy smokers have more friends | |||
| All subjects | 410 (37.0) | 748 (34.0) | 0.03‡ |
| Males | 260 (38.0) | 362 (34.0) | 0.06 |
| Females | 150 (28.0) | 386 (34.0) | 0.31 |
| Belief that girl smokers have more friends | |||
| All subjects | 315 (29.0) | 503 (23.0) | 0.0001‡ |
| Males | 181 (45.0) | 218 (20.0) | 0.002‡ |
| Females | 134 (33.0) | 285 (25.0) | 0.002‡ |
| Belief that boy smokers are more attractive | |||
| All subjects | 308 (28.0) | 399 (19.0) | <.0001‡ |
| Males | 158 (23.0) | 204 (19.0) | 0.01‡ |
| Females | 150 (36.0) | 195 (17.0) | <.0001 |
| Belief that girl smokers are more attractive | |||
| All subjects | 212 (19.0) | 259 (12.0) | <.0001‡ |
| Males | 144 (21.0) | 161 (15.0) | 0.001‡ |
| Females | 68 (17.0) | 98 (9.0) | <.0001‡ |
| Belief that smoking helps people feel comfortable in social gatherings | |||
| All subjects | 370 (34.0) | 275 (12.0) | <.0001‡ |
| Males | 251 (40.0) | 150 (14.0) | <.0001‡ |
| Females | 119 (29.0) | 125 (11.0) | <.0001‡ |
*Smokers were 1,097 among all subjects, 685 among males, and 412 among females, †Nonsmokers were 2,225 among all subjects, 1,078 among males, and 1,147 among females, ‡Significant