Purpose: To assess current prevalence of cigarette smoking and factors associated with use among secondary school students in Budapest.
Significance: Among central and eastern European countries, annual average per capita cigarette consumption is highest in Hungary. About 44% of adult males and 27% of adult females smoke. Rates of smoking among youth in Hungary are increasing.
Methods: The 1999 Budapest Student Health Behavior Survey collected information on tobacco use among 21 traditional high schools and 9 vocational/technical schools containing grades 9-12. Schools were randomly selected with probability proportional to enrollment size. Classrooms were then randomly selected and all students in the class were eligible to participate. All schools selected participated; 2,616 students out of 3,092 eligible completed surveys (response rate=85%). Current smokers were defined as having smoked cigarettes on=1 of the 30 days preceding the survey.
Results: Forty-six percent of all students currently smoked cigarettes. Vocational/technical students (60%) were significantly more likely than traditional students (43%) to be current smokers. Prevalences of current smoking were also higher among students whose friends smoked, who reported that they had seen a teacher smoking during the school year, and who lived with a family member who smoked.
Conclusion: A better understanding of tobacco use initiation and maintenance among secondary school students in Budapest is essential in order to prevent smoking among youth and decrease subsequent morbidity and mortality in adulthood.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to: 1. Discuss the prevalence of cigarette smoking among secondary school students in Budapest. 2. Articulate factors associated with cigarette smoking among students. 3. Describe the impact of cigarette smoking in Hungary
Keywords: Smoking, Youth
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.