Epidemiological study on the smoking habit in adolescents of second and third ESO course in Zaragoza

Abstract Objective: to evaluate the adolescent smoking habit in a whole group at school by primary health care practitioners. Target population: students of 2nd and 3rd level of High Education (Obligatory Secondary Education). Scenary: 14 High Schools in Zaragoza city. The recruitment was not randomised and students have participated voluntarily. Professionals: General Pactitioners and Pediatricians. Sample: 881 students. Activities: groupal antismoking advice, leaflet, five questions inquiry and coximetry. Reevaluation: one year later inquiry and coximetry. Main results: the authors report 18.80% (CI 95% 16.3%-21.6%) of smokers in all the sample. Women smoke more than men 24.60% versus 14%. Smoking is a crescent phenomenon in young women 40% at sixteen years of age. 34% of smokers do not have the intention of smoking next year. Students in Public High Schools smoke more than students in Private and Concerted High Schools, 22.90% versus 13.70% (¯2=11.5; p=0.003). Otherwise women behave in a similar way in both kinds of schools. Smoker students are 14.8 years old and no smoker students are 14.2 years old. The patern of consume of men is mainly at weekends. When coximetry is more than 5 ppm, the probability of being a smoker is 80%. Key words: Smoking, Adolescence, Coximetry.