title: [Cigarette smoking prevalence and associated factors in secondary school children in Catalunya].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to analyze those factors associated with cigarette smoking in adolescent school children, in order to plan future school interventions for promoting good health strategies developed by the schools and Primary Health Care professionals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study with a two-stage cluster sampling.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 97 schools, and was carried out in 2005-06 in Catalonia (Spain).
  
  
  METHODS
  14-16 year-old secondary school children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The survey was based on a self-administered paper-based questionnaire that collected sociodemographic variables, academic level, health status, family variables, sexual relations, addictive substances, mood state, and variables related to opinions on cigarette smoking The association between these variables and smoker/non-smoker variable was analyzed, as well as factors that could increase the probability of becoming a smoker using multilevel models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 9340 completed questionnaires, including 4653 from males, were received from the pupils, with a mean age of 15.2 years. The results showed that 71.1% of pupils were non-smokers, 75% of whom were males and 67.3% of females. The following factors increased the probability of becoming a smoker (OR and 95%CI): being a female 0.60 (0.53-0.68), being in the 4(th) year 1.27 (1.12-1.43), low academic performance 3.38 (2.74-4.17), self-reported regular/poor health status 2.81 (2.21-3.58), smoking parents 1.68 (1.45-1.95), alcohol consumption 5.05 (4.35-5.86), having 3 or more problems of mood state 1.22 (1.05-1.41), living without parents 1.59 (1.07-2.38), agreeing with tobacco industry advertising 1.64 (1.45-1.85) and believing that tobacco acts as a relaxant 3.57 (3.23-4.17).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the majority of pupils were non-smokers, smoking was more prevalent among females. The factors associated with cigarette smoking in the adolescents included sociodemographic, sociocultural, and personal environmental factors, as well as their opinions on the habit.
authors: Departamento de Investigación, Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol (IDIAP Jordi Gol), Barcelona, Spain. dpuente@idiapjgol.org
authors: Diana
authors: D
authors: Puente
authors: Edurne
authors: E
authors: Zabaleta-Del-Olmo
authors: M Jesús
authors: MJ
authors: Pueyo
authors: Esteve
authors: E
authors: Saltó
authors: Josep Ramon
authors: JR
authors: Marsal
authors: Bonaventura
authors: B
authors: Bolíbar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires