Factors associated with tobacco use in junior high school students

Abstract

Background: knowledge of the factors that influence smoking initiation during adolescence is an issue that health decision makers pay special attention. Objective: to identify factors associated with tobacco consumption in students of the “Paco Cabrera”; Elementary School in Puerto Padre, Las Tunas, Cuba, in May 2023. Methods: a cross-sectional, analytical observational study was conducted in 257 secondary school students, intentionally divided into smokers (53) and non-smokers (204), in the institution and time previously declared. The information was collected from three instruments containing the variables of interest. A set of demographic, individual, family, academic, social and attitudinal factors related to smoking were analyzed. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Results: male sex and average age were higher in smokers; low resilience (OR=6.38), alcohol consumption (OR=6.38) and money to spend (OR=2.40), were the demographic-individual factors with the highest association strength; in family members, parents with little concern about their child’s smoking (OR=41.52) and dysfunctional family (OR=10.2); in academics, belief that tobacco use causes weight loss (OR=14.5) and eliminates stress and anxiety (OR=20.9) and in social-attitudinal, present friends smokers (OR=12.9) and consider smoking a good option to spend free time (OR=40.61). Conclusions: factors associated with tobacco consumption were identified in the sample of adolescents studied.

Keywords

• uso de tabaco
• factores de riesgo
• adolescente