title: [The age of tobacco initiation and tobacco smoking frequency among 15 year-old adolescents in Poland].
abstract: The aim of the study was to present the relationship between the age of tobacco initiation and current number of smoked cigarettes and frequency of smoking among 15 years old adolescents in Poland. The research was conducted in 2006 as a part of Health Behaviour in School-aged Children: A WHO Collaborative Cross-national Study (HBSC). The representative sample consists of 2152 pupils (1037 boys and 1115 girls) at the average age of 15.7. In analysis only the adolescents who have ever smoked tobacco were taken into account. For the research purpose the standard international HBSC questionnaire was used. The presented results show that adolescents who began smoking at young age smoke more cigarettes than equals, who started smoking later. These differences are especially pronounced in the group of girls. Conducted research indicates, that smoking tobacco 10 and more times in 30 days and 12 months before survey as well, occur statistically more frequently in a group of girls, who belong to early initiators. In the group of boys, smoking more cigarettes was related to late tobacco initiation. In smoking prevention actions conducted among the adolescents it is recommended to lead campaigns pro delaying the tobacco initiation age. The current smoking stage, the factors influencing tobacco consumption and gender of programs recipients should be taken under consideration as well.
authors.affiliation: Katedra Biomedycznych Podstaw Rozwoju i Wychowania, Uniwersytet Warszawski a.kowalewska@uw.edu.pl
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kowalewska
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention