Daily Tobacco Consumption and Binge Drinking in Roma Adolescents in Three Spanish Areas

Abstract

The objective of the study is to explore tobacco and alcohol consumption amongst Roma adolescents, indicating any differences according to gender and geographical area (Andalusia, Madrid and the Basque Country). It was made a transversal study via a school survey comprising 569 Roma adolescents, registered in Secondary Education and ranging from 12 to 18 years of age. The data was collected between January and June 2011. The variables were: socio-demographic, religious beliefs, practice of sports, tobacco and alcohol consumption, and consumption context (peers, partner, and parents). The main results were that 16.2% of Roma adolescents smoked daily and drunk five or more alcoholic drinks (binge drinking) on the last occasion. Smoking on a daily basis was associated to being a boy, a parent that smokes, a partner that smokes and friends that smoke. Being a boy, getting drunk and having been to a botellón (social drinking in the street) increase the likelihood of binge drinking. Sports and religious factors were not associated to daily smoking or binge drinking. Therefore the Roma adolescent boys are at greater risk than girls of smoking daily and binge drinking, there being gender differences in intensive tobacco and alcohol consumption, but not in the general use of these substances. A smoking parent is associated to a greater risk of Roma boys smoking, and going to a botellón or getting drunk is associated to a greater risk of binge drinking. It is necessary to bear in mind the ethnic variable in educative socio-sanitary interventions.