Background: There is a strong desire of adolescent to have a peer group and to be appreciated and also to become a member of this group which can affect one each other. There for; encourage, adapting,and imitating of friends and group consider as the main reasons behind starting of smoking among youngsters. Smoking habits in the family were found tobe acause of smoking pressure among adolescentas peer pressure. Smoking habit may be started before 18 years of age in most adult smokers.
Objectives: To study the effect of peer pressure and family smoking habiton the prevalence of smoking among secondary school students.
Type of the study: A cross sectional study .
Methods: the study done with cluster sampling method; was conducted between 1st of March to 30th of May 2016. By clustering schools and randomly 7 schools were selected;3secondary schools, 3 intermediate schools and 1 professional secondary school these schools were from second Al- Kurkh education directorate /Baghdad.A total of (1993)boy students were included. An anonymous self-completion questionnaire was used..The questionnaire was essure and family smoking habiton the smoking status of students.
Results: The results of the study showed an increasing prevalence of smoking habits among students both forcigarette23.6% -41.4%, and shisha4.1% - 38.8%by increasing the class grade, and also by existing smoking parents(cigarette30.1%,and shisha 32.7%). The prevalence of nonsmoking habit among students decreases by increase smoking family members (63.4% -3.9 %).
Conclusion: The effects of peer pressure and family smoking habit were obvious among students with statistically highly significant association. Education and awareness for anti-tobacco programs should be adopted in the curriculum of all secondary schools.
Keywords: peer pressure, family smoking habit, cigarette, shisha, secondary schools, students.
