Studies on the Behavioral Changes Among Adolescent Smokers and their Nutritional Status

Abstract

A cross sectional study was carried out among the 400 adolescent smokers selected randomly from four areas of the Dhaka city to observe the behavioral pattern changes of the adolescent’s smokers and their nutritional status. The age of adolescent smokers was 16.1 ± 1.1 years. Several factors were involve in the addiction of smoking such as refusal of love and emotion (42%), friend incitements (29%), self curiosity (13%) and problems of the family (11%) and at the extended family members were the highest risk groups for smoking. Different types of behavioral changes occur due to smoking such as annoyed with others (33%), disobedient parents (23%) and dishonor to respectable people (21%). The rate of cigarette smoking was increased during gossiping time (37%) and after meal (26%). About forty percent (39%) of the respondents received physical or mental dependency due to smoking and 30% of them were fatigue. Again, 48% of adolescents’ smokers were always feeling lonely and 38% of them fell alone at times. Smoking was affects the study, 24% were opinion it affects very much, 36% were moderate harmfully and only 11% of them responded it was harmless for their study. Adolescents’ smokers took their food irregularly, only 22% of the respondents took three meals regular per day. The moderate to severe malnutrition rate of adolescent’s smokers were found 37, 22 and 10% of underweight, stunting and wasting respectively.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v4i2.10124

J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 4(2): 7-12, 2011