National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran TANAFFOS (Respiration) 1735-0344 21 3 2022 07 01 Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking and its Related Factors among Students in Iran: A Meta-Analysis 271 282 703760 EN Marzieh Aslani Asadabad School of Medical Sciences, Asadabad, Iran Mahboubeh Nazari Student Research Committee, Department of Medical and Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Hamidreza Jamaati Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Omid Naseri Besat Hospital, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran Sholeh Saedmoucheshi Salamat Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran Prashant Kumar Singh Division of Preventive Oncology and Population Health, National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research, Sector 39, Noida - 201301, Uttar Pradesh, India Reza Ghanei Gheshlagh Spiritual Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran 0000-0002-7414-8134 Journal Article 2023 03 19 <strong>Background: </strong>Smoking is a preventable cause of morbidity and mortality with an increasing prevalence in developing countries. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence of smoking among college and high school students in Iran. <strong>Materials and Methods: </strong>Databases of Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, SID, and MagIran were searched with no time limitation. Observational studies published in Persian or English were included in the analysis. Time frame of the searches was from inception until 1 January 2021. The data was analyzed using random effects model, subgroup analysis, and meta-regression analysis. Heterogeneity among studies was examined using Cochran's Q test and I² statistic. <strong>Results: </strong>A total of 63 articles with a sample size of 58742 were analyzed. The pooled smoking prevalence was found to be 13.56% (95% CI: 11.65-15.47). There was a significant increase in the prevalence of smoking among female students between 1998 and 2020. Regions 1 of Iran had the highest prevalence rates of smoking (Provinces of Alborz, Tehran, Qazvin, Mazandaran, Semnan, Golestan, and Qom). Smoking was more prevalent among college students (15.62%, 95% CI: 13.14-18.10) than in high school students (9.77%, 95% CI: 7.19-12.35). <strong>Conclusion: </strong>Given the relatively high prevalence of smoking among Iranian college and high school students, it is necessary to inform them about the harmful effects of smoking through training programs. https://www.tanaffosjournal.ir/article_703760_934513b3fdee66055e5bf9041168306c.pdf