Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38900812›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2024

Association between illegal drug use and cigarette smoking among Ethiopian students: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Chala Daba, Mesfin Gebrehiwot, Sisay Abebe Debela, Belay Desye, Yonatal Mesfin Tefera

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Determinants of Smoking Among University Students in Northern Iraq.Journal of research in health sciences · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Chala DabaDepartment of Environmental Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia.ORCID 0000-0002-4906-9610
Mesfin GebrehiwotDepartment of Environmental Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia.ORCID 0000-0002-8124-5151
Sisay Abebe DebelaDepartment of Public Health, College of Health Science, Salale University, Fitche, Ethiopia.ORCID 0000-0001-7824-7562
Belay DesyeDepartment of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Adigrat University, Adigrat, Ethiopia.
Yonatal Mesfin TeferaAdelaide Exposure Science and Health, School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-1208-9925

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionCigarette smoking is a persistent public health problem as it is a risk factor for many diseases. Previous studies on the role of illegal drug use in cigarette smoking have yielded disparate and inconclusive results, hindering the development of effective intervention strategies to address this issue. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of cigarette smoking and its associated factors, with a specific focus on the influence of illegal drug use among students in Ethiopia.

methodsWe conducted a comprehensive search of international databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, CINAHL, African Journals Online, HINARI, Global Health, and Google and Google Scholar. Grey literature was also identified from various university digital libraries. The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA) guidelines. Due to the high heterogeneity among the included studies (I2 = 98.6%; p-value <0.001), we employed a random-effects model with a 95% confidence interval (CI) to estimate the pooled effect using STATA 14 software. The publication bias was assessed using a statistical Egger regression test.

resultsA total of 22 studies involving 18,144 students met the eligibility criteria for this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of lifetime and current cigarette smoking among students in Ethiopia was 13.8% (95% CI: 9.90-17.82) and 9.61% (95% CI: 7.19-12.03), respectively. Students who used illegal drugs were twenty-three times more likely to smoke cigarettes compared to their counterparts (OR = 23.57, 95% CI: 10.87-51.1). Living in urban settings (OR = 2.9; 95% CI: 1.15-7.28) and the habit of alcohol consumption (OR = 4.79; 95% CI: 1.57-14.64) were also identified as factors associated with cigarette smoking.

conclusionsWe found that more than one in eight students in Ethiopia have engaged in lifetime cigarette smoking. Notably, students who used illegal drugs exhibited a significantly higher likelihood of cigarette smoking. In light of these findings, it is imperative to implement comprehensive public health interventions that target illegal drug use, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption, with a particular emphasis on urban residents.

Indexed as

Cigarette SmokingStudentsSubstance-Related DisordersEthiopiaFemaleHumansIllicit DrugsMalePrevalenceRisk FactorsIllicit Drugs

Identifiers

PMID38900812
PMCPMC11189178

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.