The prevalence of and variables associated with smoking in children and adolescents in the Maceió education system

Abstract

Objective: To identify the prevalence of smoking and the presence of variables associated with the habit in children and adolescents of both sexes, aged 7 to 17 years, resident in the city of Maceió. Methods:A cross-sectional epidemiological study of the student population of the both private and public education systems at elementary and high school level. Sample size was calculated based on the minimum predicted prevalence of a large number of variables, including smoking itself. Cluster sampling was employed. A questionnaire on smoking habits was completed during individual interviews with each student. Children who admitted having smoked on 1 or more day during the previous 30 were defined as current smokers. The variables analyzed were related to: the students (age, sex, previous experimentation with cigarettes and paid employment), their educational status (public/private school, daytime/evening lessons, grade and repeated years) and their families (economic status, smoking parents and separated parents).Results: A total of 1,253 students were analyzed (547 were male, mean age was 12.4±2.9 years). Observed smoking prevalence was 2.4%. Multivariate statistical analysis demonstrated significant associations between smoking and: increased age (odds ratio: 1.31); previous experimentation with cigarettes (odds ratio: 33.96); studying during the evening (odds ratio: 5.43). It was observed that 286 students (22.8%) admitted having experimented with cigarettes (9% from 7 to 9 years; 21% from 10 to 14 years; 36% from 15 to 17 years). Conclusions:The prevalence of smoking among children and adolescents in the Maceió educational system is 2.4%, being most common among students aged 15 to 17 years, studying in the evening. Students who had experimented with cigarettes exhibited a 34 times greater chance of becoming smokers. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2006;82(5):365-70: Smoking, children and adolescents, prevalence.

Cigarette Experimentation in Mexican Origin Youth: Psychosocial and Genetic Determinants

“…Our overall experimentation rate of 26.3%, and 44.3% among those who were 13 at baseline, appears comparable to rates reported elsewhere. In Brazil, 30% of 7 th to 10 th grade (39) and up to 50% of 15 to 16 year-old European students (40) report experimenting…”

Influence of Subjective Social Status on the Relationship Between Positive Outcome Expectations and Experimentation with Cigarettes

“…Many studies have shown that smoking behavior is influenced by gender and age [24, 25, 26], therefore both were included as control variables in the study. Age was entered in its continuous format.…”

Prevalência da asma, rinite e eczema em adolescentes de 13 a 14 anos na cidade de Taubaté-SP, através do questionário ISAAC e avaliação de alguns fatores de risco

“…Estudo recente no Sul do Brasil, mostrou uma maior prevalência do hábito de fumar no sexo feminino (Horta et al, 2007). Outro trabalho, realizado em Maceió, mostrou risco aumentado de o adolescente tornar-se tabagista após a experimentação do cigarro (Silva et al, 2006).…”

“…Com relação ao tabagismo ativo na população estudada, a idade de início do hábito de fumar foi de 13-14 anos como observado em outros estudos (Malcon et al, 2003;Silva et al, 2006;Aburto Barrenechea et al, 2007). No entanto a prevalência de fumantes de 0,7% entre os adolescentes, foi menor que a observada em diferentes pesquisas, com valores de prevalência que variaram de 2,4 a 12,1% ( Stewien e Marcondes, 1979;Horta et al, 2001;Malcon et al, 2003;Silva et al, 2006;Aburto Barrenechea et al, 2007;Menezes et al, 2007).…”

“…No entanto a prevalência de fumantes de 0,7% entre os adolescentes, foi menor que a observada em diferentes pesquisas, com valores de prevalência que variaram de 2,4 a 12,1% ( Stewien e Marcondes, 1979;Horta et al, 2001;Malcon et al, 2003;Silva et al, 2006;Aburto Barrenechea et al, 2007;Menezes et al, 2007). Esse fato pode ter ocorrido porque, 5% dos adolescentes levavam os questionários para respondê-los em casa, omitindo a realidade provavelmente por responderem os questionários na presença dos pais.…”