Trend analysis in tobacco use in Andalusia (2011-2014) and factors related to use

Abstract

Nowadays, smoking is the single greatest preventable cause of death in the world and tobacco is the most prevalent drug ever used. Considering that many people begin smoking in early adolescence, it is essential to further research this matter in order to better understand this behavior as well as enact adequate prevention and health-promotion programs. Despite data confirming a decrease in tobacco consumption in the last few years, it is still necessary to pay more attention to factors that may be related to adolescent smoking. Regarding these factors, a relationship between age and gender in relation to tobacco use has been fully established, showing higher use among older adolescents and females. Furthermore, parental smoking has shown to be a common catalyst for smoking initiation during adolescence. However, results are not completely consistent regarding this association. Some studies suggest that close friends’ smoking provides a substantial source of modeling of experimentation with tobacco, even more powerful than parents’ smoking. The current study seeks to identify trends in smoking behaviour (2011 – 2014) and investigates the relationship between age, gender, parental smoking and best friend’s smoking, and tobacco use among Andalusian adolescent students. The sample for this study is composed of 17,662 students aged 11 to 18 years old: 15,684 in 2011 (7,822 girls) and 1,978 in 2014 (962 girls). In both cases, the data are representative of Andalusian adolescent students. We used some items of the tobacco consumption questionnaire designed by the international team of Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (HBSC): adolescent current tobacco consumption, tobacco use of best friend, mother and father. Data confirm a decrease in adolescent tobacco use between 2011 and 2014. Females smoke more than males in 2011 and 2014, although gender differences diminish in 2014. Moreover, age, gender and close people’s smoking explain a higher percentage of variance in 2011 than in 2014. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of monitoring tobacco use in adolescence in order to adjust intervention policies. In this respect, even though this study confirms a decline in consumption, this may be attributable to the application of anti-smoking laws or the implementation of prevention programs, as well as a change in recent years in factors related to use