Cigarette smoking among adolescents in Thessaloniki, Greece.
OBJECTIVE
Epidemiological characteristics in tobacco smoking among adolescents were investigated in Thessaloniki, Greece.


METHODS
The target sample was 1,221 students coming from 15 high schools.


RESULTS
Cigarette smoking was higher among girls than boys (40.9% vs. 34.3%). However, the percentage of boys who were smoking more than 20 cigarettes per day was found larger than the relevant percentage of girls (81.2% vs. 75% of total smokers). The boys also reported an earlier initiation of tobacco use (12.7 years vs. 12.9 years in girls). Physical activity was negatively correlated with smoking, whereas drinking alcohol and low parental education were positively correlated with smoking.


CONCLUSIONS
Health promotion programs should be instituted not only during adolescence, but rather before the age of 14.
Arvanitidou
Malamatenia
M
Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Tirodimos
Ilias
I
Kyriakidis
Ioannis
I
Tsinaslanidou
Zinovia
Z
Seretopoulos
Demitris
D
Dardavessis
Theodore
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D004493:Education; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention