Factors associated with tobacco-smoking in Uganda’s leading tobacco-growing regions

Abstract

Background: Tobacco smoking is one of the determinants of health and social challenges in Uganda. Although ample information exists about smoking prevalence, less is known about the determinants particularly in the leading tobacco-growing regions of the country. Data and methods: Secondary data were extracted from the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey dataset. The un-weighted and weighted samples were 16,800 and 14,791 respectively. Tobacco-smoking status, the outcome variable, was dichotomized into those who smoked and those who never smoked. Binary logistic regression was used to model the dichotomous outcome variable against a combination of predictor variables. Findings: Overall being male, having low education, belonging to the poor wealth quintile and being of advanced age increased the odds of tobacco-smoking. Conclusion: Sex, level of education, wealth index and age predicted tobacco-smoking. We recommend strengthening educational programmes, increased advocacy for reducing tobacco-smoking and improvement of socioeconomic status of the population.