Table 2 Descriptive statistics for knowledge about tobacco products among Ellisras rural children aged 11 to 18 years

11-12 years

13-14 years

15-16 years

17-18 years

Boys

Girls

Boys

Girls

Boys

Girls

Boys

Girls

N = 142

N = 134

N = 205

N = 196

N = 308

N = 294

N = 199

N = 176

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

% (n)

1a

Smoking is harmful to one’s health

80.3(114)

75.4(101)

73.7(151)

77.0(151)

79.9(246)

79.9(235)

74.9(149)

77.3(136)

1b

Smoking is good for your health

7.7(11)

10.4(14)

10.7(22)

6.6(13)

5.8(18)

7.1(21)

7.0(14)

9.1(16)

1c

Smoking has no effect on one’s health

12.0(17)

14.2(19)

15.6(32)

16.3(32)

14.3(44)

12.9(38)

18.1(36)

13.6(24)

2a

Smoking is bad for women who are pregnant

62.7(89)

64.9(87)

62.4(128)

62.8(123)

67.9(209)

72.1(212)

71.4(142)

69.3(122)

2b

Smoking is good for women who are pregnant

14.8(21)

16.4(22)

11.7(24)

15.3(30)

12.0(37)

9.9(29)

8.5(17)

11.4(20)

2c

Smoking has no effect on women who are pregnant

22.5(32)

18.7(25)

25.9(53)

21.9(43)

20.1(62)

18.0(53)

20.1(40)

19.3(34)

3a

Smoking near you is harmful to your health

72.5(103)

70.1(94)

74.6(153)

84.2(165)

83.1(256)

83.7(246)

86.4(172)

80.1(141)

3b

Smoking near you is good for your health

12.7(18)

12.7(17)

10.7(22)

7.7(15)

7.1(22)

6.8(20)

7.0(14)

6.8(12)

3c

Smoking has no effect on your health

14.8(21)

17.2(23)

14.6(30)*

8.2(16)*

9.7(30)

9.5(28)

6.5(13)*

13.1(23)*

4a

Chewing tobacco is much healthier than smoking cigarettes

23.2(33)

17.9(24)

23.4(48)

16.8(33)

19.5(60)

16.7(49)

17.1(34)

14.2(25)

4b

Chewing tobacco is not healthier than smoking cigarettes

43.0(61)

49.3(66)

34.6(71)*

48.5(95)*

40.3(124)

38.1(112)

37.2(74)

40.9(72)

4c

There is no difference between chewing tobacco smoking cigarettes they are all bad

33.8(48)

32.8(44)

42.0(86)

34.7(68)

40.3(124)

45.2(133)

45.7(91)

44.9(79)

5a

There is no harm to your health in taking snuff.

28.9(41)

26.1(35)

21.5(44)

18.9(37)

25.3(78)

23.8(70)

22.1(44)

25.6(45)

5b

It is bad for your health to take snuff

58.5(83)

60.4(81)

62.9(129)

70.9(139)

65.3(201)

65.0(191)

66.8(133)

62.5(110)

5c

It has no effect on your health

12.7(18)

13.4(18)

15.6(32)

10.2(20)

9.4(29)

11.2(33)

11.1(22)

11.9(21)

6a

Snuff is good for women who are stressed.

19.0(27)

25.4(34)

19.0(39)

15.3(30)

23.1(71)

19.0(56)

17.6(35)

15.9(28)

6b

Snuff is not good for women who are stressed

61.3(87)

44.0(59)

46.8(96)

48.5(95)

50.3(155)

50.3(148)

47.7(95)

45.5(80)

6c

Snuff has no effect on women who are stressed

19.7(28)

30.6(41)

34.1(70)

36.2(71)

26.6(82)

30.6(90)

34.7(69)

38.6(68)

7a

Smoking a pipe is healthier than smoking cigarettes

10.6(15)

11.9(16)

9.8(20)

10.2(20)

9.1(28)

10.2(30)

7.5(15)

9.1(16)

7b

Smoking a pipe is not healthier than smoking cigarettes

65.5(93)

67.2(90)

68.8(141)

64.8(127)

65.3(201)

65.0(191)

61.3(122)

56.8(100)

7c

There is no difference smoking a pipe or cigarettes they are all bad

23.9(34)

20.9(28)

21.5(44)

25.0(49)

25.6(79)

24.8(73)

31.2(62)

34.1(60)

8a

It doesn’t help giving up smoking when you are old, since the damage has been done

19.0(27)*

32.1(43)*

27.8(57)

24.5(48)

20.1(62)

22.4(66)

23.1(46)

21.6(38)

8b

It does help giving up smoking when you are old, since the damage can be stopped

40.1(57)

27.6(37)

28.8(59)

31.6(62)

38.6(119)

33.0(97)

32.2(64)

35.8(63)

8c

It doesn’t matter whether you stop or don’t stop smoking

40.8(58)

40.3(54)

43.4(89)

43.9(86)

41.2(127)

44.6(131)

44.7(89)

42.6(75)

9a

Smoking cigarettes is only bad when you smoke more than 20 a day

53.5(76)

40.3(54)

31.2(64)

39.3(77)

32.1(99)

35.4(104)

28.6(57)

26.7(47)

9b

Smoking less than 20 cigarettes a day is also bad for you

29.6(42)

34.3(46)

41.5(85)

38.8(76)

37.7(116)

34.4(101)

40.7(81)

41.5(73)

9c

It doesn’t matter how many you smoke or don’t smoke

16.9(24)

25.4(34)

27.3(56)

21.9(43)

30.2(93)

30.3(89)

30.7(61)

31.8(56)