[Prevalence of smoking among adolescent students in Navarra]

Factors associated with commencing smoking in 12-year-old students in Catalonia (Spain): a cross-sectional population-based study

Background

Over the last decade notable progress has been made in developed countries on monitoring smoking although experimenting with cigarettes and smoking in young people remains a serious public health problem. This paper reports a cross-sectional study at the beginning of the 3-year follow-up community study TA_BES. The aim was to study the prevalence of smoking in addition to determining predictive factors for when smoking commences in a representative population of 12-year-old first year compulsory secondary education students.

Methods

Twenty-nine secondary schools (N = 29) from an area of Catalonia participated in the study. In these schools 2245 students answered a questionnaire to study the attitudes, behaviors, and tobacco consumption in the subject's surrounding circle and family in relation to smoking; carbon monoxide measurements were taken by means of co-oximetry on 2 different occasions. A smoker was defined as a student who had smoked daily or occasionally in the last 30 days. For non-smokers the criteria of not considering was set up for those who answered that in the future they would not be smokers and considering those who answered that they did not rule out becoming a smoker in the future.

Results

Among the total 2245 students included in the analysis 157(7%) were classified as smokers. Among non-smokers we differentiated between those not considering smoking 1757 (78.3%) and those considering smoking 288 (12.8%).

Age is among the factors related to commencing smoking. The risk of becoming a smoker increases 2.27 times/year. The influence of the group of friends with a very high risk for boys OR 149.5 and lower, albeit high, in girls OR 38.1. Tobacco consumption of parents produces different effects in young people. A smoking father does not produce alterations in the smoking behavior of young people. However having a smoking mother or former smoking is a risk factor for boys and a protective factor for girls.

We detected a gradual risk of becoming a smoker by means of the co-oximetry test. A boy/girl with a test between 6 p.p.m and 10 p.p.m increased the probability of smoking by 2.29 and co-oximetry values > 10 p.p.m multiplied the risk 4 times over.

Conclusions

Results indicate that the age of commencing smoking is maintained in spite of prevalence having decreased in the last few years. The risk factors identified should be used to involve families and the educational community by offering them tobacco weaning programmes.

Prevalencia del consumo de tabaco en adolescentes. Influencia del entorno familiar

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of tobacco use among 12-18 year-olds in Biscay (Spain) and its relation with the family environment.

SUBJECTS AND METHOD

We performed a cross-sectional study in 12-18 year-olds. A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was distributed in different schools of the region selected by stratified sampling, based on the type of school (public school or subsidized private school) and on the linguistic model. The final study sample comprised 1921 students. Information was obtained on tobacco, alcohol and other drug use, as well as on family and sociodemographic characteristics.

RESULTS

A total of 51.8 % of the students had used tobacco. One-third (29.9%) of the teenagers were current smokers and 50.4% were daily smokers. The mean age of first tobacco use was 13.1 +/- 1.85 years. The prevalence of tobacco use was higher in girls and increased with age until the age of 15-16 years. More than 90 % of smokers had experimented with alcohol, 86.3 % had used cannabis at some time and 11 % had used other illegal drugs. In multivariate analysis, the variables associated with a higher odds of smoking were age, female sex, available money, use of other drugs, and smoking by siblings in front of the adolescent.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of tobacco use among 12-18 year-olds increased in relation to female gender, age, having siblings who smoked in their presence, available money, and the use of alcohol, cannabis and other illicit drugs. Maternal and sibling disapproval of smoking may be associated with lower tobacco use among adolescents.

[Smoking prevention intervention among secondary school students in the Spanish province of Malaga]

OBJECTIVE

To assess the prevalence of smoking among 13- to 18-year-old students, analyze smoking-related factors in this population, and design an intervention program to reduce smoking.

POPULATION AND METHODS

A 6-month smoking prevention intervention was designed for students at a public secondary school in the Spanish province of Malaga. The objective of the intervention was to inform students of the gravity of smoking and its deleterious effects on health. The efficacy of the intervention was subsequently assessed.

RESULTS

Of the 337 students who completed the questionnaire, 27% declared they were smokers. Smoking prevalence was significantly higher among girls (36.1%) than boys (18.1%) (P<.001) and progressively increased with age. Initiation occurred at 13 to 14 years of age. The most common reason for starting was to try something new (52.2% of students). The greatest risk factor in the family environment was having a smoking sibling. After the program, 78% of smokers admitted that the intervention had not affected their smoking but had made them more aware of its detrimental effects, and 66.8% planned to quit in the future.

CONCLUSIONS

The study shows the high prevalence of smoking among adolescents, particularly among girls. It also shows that health education increases understanding of the problems related to smoking, causing changes of attitude with regard to whether they will smoke in the future.

[Smoking among adolescents: population study on parental and school influences]

OBJECTIVE

Smoking represents a public health problem, one which begins during adolescence. The main objective of this study was to analyze the association between smoking and parental and school factors.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The study sample consisted of the students from the 20 secondary schools in the region of Osona, Barcelona, Spain. A self-report questionnaire was used to obtain information on the following variables: smoking habit, age of initiation, frequency, type of school (state school or private-subsidized), sex, age, persons living in the home, town, whether the student had lunch at school, whether the student often had lunch or dinner alone at home.

RESULTS

A total of 2280 students participated in the study (91%). Mean age was 15.5 years. Of the participants, 20% said they were smokers; 5%, ex-smokers; 34% had tried smoking at least once, and 41% had never smoked. Factors significantly associated with smoking in the multivariate analysis were age, rural town, state school, single parent family, eating alone, and not lunching at school.

CONCLUSIONS

Smoking prevalence is high among adolescents in our society and there is no gender difference. Our results show that family structure and dynamics can influence smoking in adolescents. Smoking is less prevalent among adolescents who have lunch at school.

Jóvenes y tabaco: prevalencia, patrón y actitud ante el consumo de tabaco

OBJECTIVES

To determine the prevalence of smoking among 12 to 14-year-olds in the province of Salamanca and to identify their knowledge of and attitudes to smoking as well as the impact of information provided on the subject in comic strip form.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

We performed a descriptive study (n = 4907). The variables analyzed were: age, sex, place of residence, school, smoking, and degree of awareness of the consequences of smoking before and after being given the comic book. Statistical analysis was carried out using measures of central tendency, the chi-squared test and Student's t-test T (p < 0.05).

RESULTS

Of the teenagers surveyed, 45.4 % of the boys and 39 % of the girls had smoked at some time and 20.5 % reported they were current smokers, with no differences between sexes. In both sexes the first cigarette was offered by a friend (59.8 % of boys and 66.5 % of girls). The teenagers began to smoke at a mean age of 11.1 years. Most of these adolescents smoked between 1 and 5 cigarettes a day. Most (91.8 %) considered tobacco to be a drug and after reading the comic strip this percentage rose to 99.1 %. A total of 70.1 % knew what passive smoking was, and after reading the comic strip this figure increased to 88.2 %. More than half (64.9 %) associated tobacco consumption with cancer, bronchitis and heart attack and 44.4 % considered mild cigarettes to be less harmful; after reading the comic strip these percentages changed to 95.3 % and 1.4 % respectively. Before reading the comic strip 84.2 % associated addiction with nicotine whereas after reading the comic this figure was 97.8 %.

CONCLUSIONS

Children have contact with tobacco at a relatively early age. Current information on smoking is acceptable but could be improved. Information provided through comic strips can be an effective way of reaching adolescents and of preventing them from taking up the habit.