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Article History

Received: 13 April 2025

Accepted: 30 March 2026

First Online: 12 June 2026

Declarations

:

: This paper forms part of a PhD study. Ethical approval to conduct the research and use the dataset was granted by Walter Sisulu University (Ethical Approval letter attached as “supplemental_other”). In addition, further ethical clearance for the dataset was not required, as the study used secondary data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), which is publicly available and fully anonymized. The original data collection received ethical approval from the South African Medical Research Council’s Research Ethics Committee (MRC GYTS 12/18/2010), covering all study protocols, instruments, and procedures. The survey was conducted in accordance with strict ethical standards and adhered to the ethical guidelines and principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Participation was voluntary, and confidentiality was maintained throughout the process. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires completed by learners in selected classrooms, with trained researchers overseeing the process. Informed consent was obtained from the National Department of Education, school principals, parents or guardians, and the learners themselves [10]. Additionally, learners under the age of 18 provided assent on the day of the survey before participating.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.