Prevalence and risk factors for initiation of smoking in Greek high-school students.
The smoking habits of 9,276 high-school students (15-18 years old) in six cities of Northern Greece were studied using a questionnaire in order to determine the prevalence and possible risk factors for initiation of smoking. We observed that 29.6% of high-school students (32.6% of boys and 26.7% of girls) were current smokers. A percentage of 43.3% had started smoking before the age of 14. Reactive behaviour towards parents' and teachers' advice (40.2%) and the existence of smoking friends (40.1%) were the main reasons of initiation. A well-planned integrated anti-smoking campaign is urgently required, especially among students and teachers.
Laboratory for the Investigation of Environmental Diseases, Pulmonary Clinic, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. sichlet@med.auth.gr
Lazaros T
LT
Sichletidis
Diamantis A
DA
Chloros
Anastasios I
AI
Tsiotsios
Dionisios G
DG
Spyratos
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population