Results of a survey of high school adolescents and secondary specialized institutions on the smoking status and preferred smoking methods

Adolescent smoking remains an important public health issue, as it leads to nicotine dependence and increases the risk of developing chronic diseases. Despite the availability of data on the prevalence of smoking among young people, the role of new forms of nicotine consumption as well as the impact of social and family factors on adolescents’ behavior related to tobacco remain insufficiently studied. Objective. To determine the features of smoking in adolescents aged 14—17 years, to identify factors contributing to the initiation of tobacco use and to assess the relationship between smoking and respiratory diseases. Materials and methods. An anonymous questionnaire survey of 396 adolescents (206 girls and 190 boys) in Penza was performed. The questionnaire included questions on smoking status, motives for beginning, preferred methods of tobacco use, presence of chronic diseases and symptoms related to smoking. Statistical processing was performed in IBM SPSS Statistics 23.0 («IBM Corporation», USA). Results. Smoking prevalence amounted to 15.9%, thus students of secondary specialized institutions smoked more frequently (21.2%) compared to school students (11.5%), p<0.05. The main motives of smoking were curiosity (84.1%) and environmental impact. A total of 66.7% of adolescents had smoking parents. Smoking was associated with an increased incidence of chronic respiratory diseases. Conclusion. The study’s results confirmed the high prevalence of smoking among adolescents and showed a significant influence of family and social factors. The findings emphasize the need to develop and implement prevention programs targeted at adolescents and their environment.