Juvenile (age 13–18) smoking incidence determinants in Greece

Abstract

Smoking is a form of medical addiction, usually adopted during adolescence. The aim was to determine the prevalence of smoking in adolescents, aged 13-18 years old, to investigate their attitudes towards smoking and determine the contribution of social influences to onset and continuation of smoking. An anonymous self-report questionnaire was filled in by 873 high school students of Central Greece. Smoking incidence was 19.2%, with a 13.7% of regular smokers. The presence of a smoker in the family and a smoker friend were correlated with increased smoking rates. School grades were correlated negatively with smoking attitude and positively with allowance. Age was correlated negatively with social influence. Social influence appears stronger on younger ages and is a main determinant of smoking behavior. A more susceptible attitude towards smoking is formed during late adolescence. Certain social predictive factors for attitude towards smoking are proposed.

Health risk behaviors among high school and university adolescent students

“…Family, friends, school, as well as intrinsic factors, such as mental disorders, increase significantly the risk of psychotropic drug use during adolescence. The family's social conditions, such as poverty, living in an area of violence, the lack of an extended family or community support network, all act in favor of substance addiction ( 25 ). Moreover, attendance to social norms and peer influence are among the most prominent explanations for adolescent health risk taking ( 20 ).…”

The FRESHAIR4Life study: Global implementation research on non-communicable disease prevention targeting adolescents’ exposure to tobacco and air pollution in disadvantaged populations

“…In all countries, tobacco use rates are higher for males than for females. These differences are less explicit in Greece [49][50][51][52] and Romania 53,54 , a pattern commonly observed in high-income countries 55 . Moreover, some studies indicate even higher tobacco use rates for young females in Greece 52,56 .…”

“…Contributing factors. Frequently associated correlates of tobacco use that are applicable in all countries include parents, siblings, and/ or friends who use tobacco 50,53,63,75,[78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90][91] , a low educational level of the parents 83,92 , risky concomitant behaviours such as alcohol 56,60,68,[93][94][95][96][97] and drug use 98 and the existence of negative emotions and psychological symptoms 68,[99][100][101][102] . Obesity or being overweight is frequently associated with tobacco use in Romania and Uganda [103][104][105] and is inversely correlated in Greece, especially in females 106,107 .…”

Risk-Taking Behaviors Among Students of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Iran

“…They experience a new environment at the university, which can potentially expose them to an unhealthy lifestyle (28). Also, as contextual factors, the family's socioeconomic status, such as poverty, living in an area of violence, and the lack of family or social support, act as predisposing factors to substance addiction (33). Moreover, compliance with social norms and peer influence are among the most important explanations for risk-taking behaviors (34).…”