Smoking initiation is concentrated among young people which strongly influences future smoking prevalence. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of smoking and other tobacco product use and potential determinants in a cross-sectional survey of 1 121 students aged 13 to 15 years in Dili, Timor-Leste. The prevalence of ever using a tobacco product was 40.4% (males 55.5%; females 23.8%) and of current use was 32.2% (males 45.3%; females 17.9%). In a logistic multivariable regression, factors associated with current use of any tobacco product were being male, ≥US$1 weekly pocket money, parents smoking, exposure at home, and exposure in other locations. The findings suggest that reducing the very high use of tobacco among adolescents in Timor-Leste will require new policy measures, enhanced enforcement of current legislation as well as a focused commitment to targeted smoke-free education campaigns, and community-based health promotion to support parents to quit smoking and not smoke around children.
Keywords: adolescents; exposures; prevalence; smoking; tobacco.