Impact of Individual, Familial and Parental Factors on Adolescent Smoking in Turkey

Social Connectedness and Smoking among Adolescents in Ireland: An Analysis of the Health Behaviour in Schoolchildren Study

Continuing progress with preventing smoking initiation is a key to the tobacco endgame. Home- and school-based social networks shape the health behaviour of children and adolescents. This study described the relationship between social connectedness and smoking behaviour in school-aged children in Ireland. The 2014 Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) surveyed self-reported smoking status and measured perceptions of social connectedness and support with validated and reliable questions across a random stratified sample of 9623 schoolchildren (aged 10-19). Overall, 8% of school-aged children reported smoking, in the last 30 days 52% reported smoking daily, and prevalence increased with age (p < 0.001). Compared with schoolchildren who did not smoke, perceptions of social connectedness and perceptions of support at home, from peers, and at school were significantly poorer for schoolchildren who smoked across all measures examined (p < 0.001). The poorest rated measures were for school connectedness and teacher support for smokers. Policies and practices that build and support positive environments for schoolchildren must continue to be prioritised if progress on preventing smoking initiation is to be sustained.

Proportion and trend in the age of cigarette smoking initiation among adolescent smoking experiencers aged 13-15 years in 148 countries/territories

Background

Limited studies have assessed the recent proportion and trend in the age of cigarette smoking initiation among adolescent smoking experiencers globally. We aimed to assess the recent global proportion, associated factors and the long-term trend of the initiated age of cigarette smoking among adolescent smoking experiencers.

Methods

We used data from the most recent Global Youth Tobacco Survey on 99,728 adolescent smoking experiencers aged 13-15 years from 144 countries/territories (hereafter "countries") that had conducted at least one survey in 2010-20, to assess the recent proportion of the age of cigarette smoking initiation. Additionally, we used data from 148 countries that had conducted ≥2 surveys between 1999 and 2020, to assess the trend in the average age of cigarette smoking initiation.

Results

Among 99,728 adolescent smoking experiencers aged 13-15 years, the proportions of initiating cigarette smoking when aged ≤ 9 years, 10-11 years, 12-13 years, and 14-15 years were 22.8% (95%CI 21.3-24.4), 18.8% (17.3-20.2), 36.8% (34.5-39.2), and 21.6% (19.9-23.2), respectively. The average age of cigarette smoking initiation decreased by 0.44 years per 5 calendar-years averagely in 17 (11.5%) of 148 countries, was unchanged in 95 (64.2%) countries, and increased by 0.38 years per 5 calendar-years averagely in 36 (24.3%) countries. Higher income category (reference group: low-income countries; lower-middle-income: OR = 0.44, 95%CI = 0.28-0.70; upper-middle-income: OR = 0.56, 95%CI = 0.38-0.83; high-income: OR = 0.35, 95%CI = 0.22-0.53) and Framework Convention on Tobacco Control ratification (OR = 0.51, 95%CI = 0.42-0.63) were inversely associated with early cigarette smoking initiation.

Conclusions

A substantial proportion (~80%) of adolescent smoking experiencers aged 13-15 years initiated cigarette smoking before 13 years, and the average age of cigarette smoking initiation decreased or remained unchanged in nearly three quarters of the countries surveyed. These findings emphasize that national governments around the world need to strengthen intervention strategies and measures aimed at children and adolescents to prevent smoking up-take.

Association of Cardiovascular Risk Factors between Adolescents and Their Parents Is Mitigated by Parental Physical Activity-A Cross-Sectional Study

INTRODUCTION

It is hypothesized that children's habits can be modulated by their parent's lifestyle. However, it is still not established whether the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) in adolescents and their parents could be attenuated by parental physical activity levels.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to analyze the relationship of CVRF between adolescents and their parents according to parental physical activity level.

METHODS

A school-based sample of 1231 adolescents, 1202 mothers and 871 fathers were included (n = 3304). The CVRF assessed were overweight, hypertension, smoking and alcohol consumption. The parental physical activity level was assessed using a validated questionnaire, being classified into physically active and inactive parents. The statistical analysis considered all parents and stratification by physical activity level.

RESULTS

The prevalence of CVRF was higher in fathers than in mothers (70.6% vs. 54.9% for overweight, 23.3% vs. 19.7% for hypertension, 17.9% vs. 12.4% for smoking and 60.4% vs. 28.5% for alcohol consumption). Adolescents with active mothers showed lower prevalence of overweight (13.9% vs. 19.6%), while adolescents with active fathers showed higher prevalence of alcohol consumption (23.5% vs. 16.9%). The CVRF of both fathers and mothers were positively associated with CVRF of adolescents. However, the association of CVRF between adolescents and their parents was mitigated among active parents, while all the CVRF remained associated in physically inactive parents.

CONCLUSION

The parental physical activity level seems to mitigate the association of CVRF between adolescents and their parents. The promotion of an active lifestyle at the family level can contribute to reduce CVRF among adolescents.