Assessment of the Public Awareness of the Health Hazards Caused By Smoking: A Case Study of Nsambya Barracks Youths

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out the public awareness of the health hazards caused by smoking among the Nsambya Barracks youths. Self-administered questionnaires were applied to 68 youths, the data collected was entered into excel and exported to SPSS for analysis. Majority of the respondents were males (56%) and the females were (44%). The study findings also show that majority of the smokers were males who were 15. Respondents that knew someone in their family who smoked and they were influenced by them into smoking were 56% and majority of those that quit smoking did so because of religious reasons (50%). According to the study findings the most common health hazard known was lung cancer (60%). Results from the study showed that whether one smoked or not and specific brands smoked are important factors that influence awareness of health hazards among the youths in Nsambya Barracks because they were found to be significant. However, 76% of the youths in Nsambya Barracks were aware of the health hazards caused by smoking. Basing on the findings of the study, there is need to put more emphasis on sensitization focusing on the teens at least from the age of eleven so as to increase awareness and also reduce the number of smokers. There is also need for more anti-smoking campaigns also focused on educating about the health hazards caused by smoking.