[Smoking and the adolescent. An inquiry into motivation and knowledge of the effects of tobacco].
BACKGROUND
The nicotinism at the teenagers is a concern of public health. The objective of our prospective and descriptive investigation was to better include/understand the nicotinic practices of the teenagers.


METHODS
A questionnaire was distributed to the children from 12 to 16 years presenting at the Paediatric emergency department of Le Havre from September 2003 on May 2004. The items collected related to the practices and knowledge on the nicotinism.


RESULTS
Hundred answers were collected at teenagers with an average age 14 years. We found 35% of smokers. Among smokers, the average age of the beginning of the nicotinism is at 12,2 years. The girls smoke significantly more than the boys (42% versus 22%, p<0.01). Sex ratio is 2,8 (26 girls and 9 boys). The degree of dependence was evaluated by the score of Fagerström. Half of the questioned teenagers are fairly with strongly dependent (score > 5), in spite of a daily consumption of 5 cigarettes on average. The consumption of other "drugs" was announced at 51.5% of the smokers. On the 100 teenagers, 7 stopped smoking, but 3 think of smoking a day again. The teenagers of single-parent family or separate smoke significantly more than if the parents are in couple (58.3% versus 41.6, p<0.01). The class of third represented the peak of making of contact with the tobacco.


CONCLUSIONS
The tobacco at the teenagers is a control at the risk justifying the continuation of the actions of prevention by the whole of the doctors.
Hastier
N
N
Service des Urgences pédiatriques, Groupe hospitalier, Le Havre, France.
Quinque
K
K
Bonnel
A S
AS
Leménager
S
S
Le Roux
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires