The Influence of Motives and Significant others in Adolescent Tobacco Smoking: Evidence from a Survey of Secondary School Adolescents in Dar es Salaam

Abstract

This study explored the psychosocial influence of tobacco smoking among secondary school adolescents in Ilala district, Dar es Salam region. Specifically, the study sought to explore the influence of significant others and motives on tobacco smoking among secondary school adolescents. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 400 secondary school adolescents aged between 12 and 22.  The findings revealed that the major motive that drives adolescents to smoke tobacco was experimentation. Other motives include; the desire to reduce frustration, pleasure, persuaded to smoke, a way of solving problem, and the habit of being sent to light up cigarette.   It was further revealed that smoking cigarette as a way of keeping busy had little influence on secondary schools’ adolescents in Ilala district while the influence of close friends and brothers made a strong contribution to secondary school adolescents in Ilala district to smoke tobacco. Significant others like sister, mother and father were found to have little influence on secondary schools’ adolescents’ tobacco smoking behavior.Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that factors such as motives and the influence of significant others need to be taken into account when considering psycho-educational intervention programs to preventing smoking.