Prevalência do tabagismo e fatores associados ao início e manutenção do hábito entre estudantes do ensino médio de escolas públicas em Anápolis, Go

• Published in: Revista Educação em Saúde Vol. 1; no. 1; pp. 18 - 23
• Main Authors: Paula Marques Paiva, Virgínia Amorim Tavares, Adriano de Almeida de Lima, Cristine Miron Stefani
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Published: UniEVANGÉLICA 01.11.2012
• Subjects: Adolescent health; Epidemiology; Smoking; Tobacco smoke pollution
• ISSN: 2358-9868; 2358-9868

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of smoking among 13 to 19 year-old high school students from public schools in Anápolis-GO and the factors related to the onset and maintenance of the smoking habit. It was a field study, cross sectional, quantitative approach, using a questionnaire. The participants were 1103 high school students from public schools. 23.5% of the 675 female students who responded the questionnaire, tried cigarettes and 3.1% were smokers. 31% of the 428 males, tried cigarettes and 7.2% were smokers. The chances of experimenting with cigarettes was 40% and the chance of becoming a smoker was 2.5 times higher among male students. For the male gender, having smoking parents increased twice the chance of experimenting with cigarettes and three times the chance or becoming a smoker, while for the female gender, the chance of experimenting with cigarettes was 3.4 higher and the chance of becoming a smoker was 4.7 higher. Among male students, having smoker friends increased three times the change of experimenting with cigarettes and 13 times the chance of becoming a smoker, while among female students, the chance of experimenting smoking was 3.6 higher and the chance of becoming a smoker was 10 times higher. Among male students, being exposed to tobacco environmental pollution at home increased three times the chance of experimenting smoking and 3.8 times the chance of becoming a smoker while among female students, the chance of experimenting smoking was 2.9 higher and the chance of becoming a smoker increased four times. Comparing with the national average, the prevalence of smoking and experimentation of this sample of high school students from Anápolis was relatively low. The risk factors for the smoking habit acquisition were related to smoking parents and friends and also to passive smoking at home or outdoors.