Objective: To determine the proportion of high school students with correct knowledge and practices regarding tobacco harm prevention and related factors in Xuyen Moc district, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province.
Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 800 students from March 2024 to June 2024.
Results: The percentage of students with accurate knowledge about the harmful effects of tobacco was 79.4%, while those with correct practices were 78.5%. Female students and students with better academic performance had higher rates of accurate knowledge, with odds ratios (OR) of 2.20, 95%CI (1.53-3.18), and 1.78, 95%CI (1.25-5.08), respectively. Similarly, correct practices were more prevalent among these groups, with ORs of 2.27, 95%CI (1.58-3.26), and 2.43, 95%CI (1.47-5.26), respectively. On the other hand, students with family members who smoked or who had limited access to information about tobacco harm were less likely to have accurate knowledge ORs of 0.51, 95%CI (0.34-0.72), and 0.27, 95%CI (0.16-0.41) and correct practices ORs of 0.53, 95%CI (0.37-0.76), and 0.42, 95%CI (0.12-0.73), with all p-values < 0.001.
Conclusions: The rates of accurate knowledge and practices among high school students in Xuyen Moc district, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province were 79.4% and 78.5%, respectively. Factors such as being female and having better academic performance were associated with higher rates of accurate knowledge and practices. Conversely, having family members who smoked or limited access to information decreased these rates.