MEDIA EXPOSURE AND RURAL-URBAN DISPARITIES IN KNOWLEDGE OF SECONDHAND SMOKE HARMS AMONG NIGERIAN ADOLESCENTS': ANALYSIS OF NIGERIA GLOBAL YOUTH TOBACCO SURVEY.

Introduction: This study assessed rural-urban disparities in awareness of secondhand smoke (SHS) harms and exposure to anti-smoking media messages among adolescents in Nigeria using nationally representative data. Methods: A secondary analysis of the 2008 Nigeria Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), a nationally representative school-based survey of students aged 13-15 years, was performed. Data were extracted for SHS harm awareness (CR42), anti-smoking media exposure (CR48-CR50), and covariates (sex, age, rural residence, parental smoking, and school type). Analyses were performed using weighted descriptive statistics and survey-adjusted logistic regression, with results presented as proportions and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Associations between media exposure and SHS awareness and between rural residence and both outcomes were assessed. Results: Of all 2,379 adolescents in the GTYS, 33.5% were aware of SHS harms and 36.8% recalled exposure to anti-smoking media messages. Rural adolescents significantly reported less awareness (29.8%) and media exposure (21.4%) compared with their urban counterparts (36.9% and 40.2%, respectively). In multivariable analyses, exposure to anti-smoking media was positively associated with SHS awareness (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=1.65; 95% CI: 1.59-1.71; p<0.001), whereas rural residence was inversely associated with both outcomes (aOR=0.85; 95% CI: 0.82-0.89; p<0.001). Parental smoking was negatively. Conclusion: Awareness of the harms of secondhand smoke and exposure to anti-smoking media remain low among Nigerian adolescents, with clear rural-urban inequities. Rural residence was consistently associated with reduced awareness and message reach, whereas media exposure significantly increased the likelihood of SHS harm recognition.