title: [Tobacco, alcohol, and drug use by teenagers in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil: a gender approach].
abstract: This study assesses the relationship between gender and use of psychoactive substances (alcohol, nicotine, and illicit drugs) by teenagers. In 2002, a cross-sectional study was carried out in the urban area of Pelotas, southern Brazil. Multi-stage sampling was used to obtain a sample of adolescents, 15 to 18 years of age. Subjects were interviewed using a self-applied confidential questionnaire. Smoking was more prevalent among girls, while alcohol consumption in the previous month was more common among boys. Meanwhile, the proportion of adolescents that reported drug use in the previous month was unrelated to gender. Higher cigarette consumption by girls suggests an increase in smoking by women in the future, which highlights the need for a special focus on this area.
authors: Prontamente Clinica da Familia, Rua Domingos Rubbo 348, Porto Alegre, RS 91040-000, Brazil. rogeriohorta@hotmail.com
authors: Rogério Lessa
authors: RL
authors: Horta
authors: Bernardo Lessa
authors: BL
authors: Horta
authors: Ricardo Tavares
authors: RT
authors: Pinheiro
authors: Blanca
authors: B
authors: Morales
authors: Marlene Neves
authors: MN
authors: Strey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs