Prevalence and predictors of smoking behavior in Azorean adolescents

Abstract

INTRODUCTION According to the World Health Organization, tobacco use is a global pandemic and the leading preventable cause of illness and death. Most smokers start to smoke during adolescence. Therefore, it is crucial to develop and implement evidence-based measures to improve the effectiveness of smoking prevention. The Azores have the highest prevalence of smokers among the Portuguese regions and studies on Azorean adolescents are scarce. This study’s objectives were to determine the prevalence of smoking behavior in Azorean adolescents and to explore associations among smoking behavior and demographic and psychosocial variables. METHODS Participants in this study were 209 young Azoreans (mean age=15.4 ± 1.9; 68% females) who answered a questionnaire available online between November 2020 and February 2021. Access to the questionnaire was provided through a link disseminated at school by teachers. Variables such as age, sex, smoking attitude, social influence, selfefficacy, intention to smoke and smoking behavior, were included in the questionnaire. The statistical analyses performed include descriptive statistics, comparisons tests between never smokers and already smokers, correlations, and a logistic regression to determine effects on smoking behavior. RESULTS Most participants (68.9%) reported never having smoked, not even a puff, and 5.7% answered that they smoked regularly. Beliefs about the advantages of smoking, reduced self-efficacy to refuse smoking in social situations, and having a best friend who smokes, are the variables associated with smoking behavior. The model explains 44% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS Smoking prevention interventions with Azorean adolescents should address and correct beliefs about the pros of smoking, reinforce self-efficacy to refuse cigarettes in social situations, and provide strategies to deal with pressure to smoke from friends who smoke