Beginning smoking habit in adolescence and related factors

Abstract

Aims. To analyze tobacco consumption, by age and sex, in primary and secondary school adolescents in Cantabria. Methodology. A cross-sectional study was carried out, analyzing a sample of 1,112 adolescents: 574 (51.6%) were men and 538 (48.4%) were women, aged between 10 and 17, attending 16 different primary and secondary education public centres in Cantabria, by means of a health habit questionnaire, objective anthropometric and physical condition trials. Results. 9% of adolescents from 10 to 17 years old have smoked sometime; only 4.7% of them do it when their parents are non smokers, but this percentage rises to 12.6% when one of the two parents is a smoker and to 15.4% when both parents are smokers. The first contact with tobacco is at the beginning of adolescence and it is increases to 40.9% in 17 years old males and to 50.0% in females of the same age. The 7.7% of adolescents are current smokers, some of them are occasional users, but others are frequent users with an average consumption of 4.7 cigarettes per day. This consumption means an average expense of 7.3 euros per week in females and 6.1 euros in males. 65% of adolescents think tobacco limit their physical activity. Smokers sleep less than non smokers; moreover, those have a worse valuation of their self-image.Finally, smokers eat more factory-produced cakes, rolls and buns, fast food and sweet candy, and consume more alcohol than non smokers. Conclusions. The tobacco habit begins in the first stage of adolescence. It is consolidated at the intermediate stage and it is characterized by its greater predominance in females.