Prevalence and Predictors of Adolescent Tobacco Use in the Russian Federation: Insights From a Nationwide Survey

Background: Tobacco use is a leading cause of preventable disease and death worldwide. In Russia, despite tobacco-control measures, adolescent tobacco use remains a significant public health concern. Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of tobacco use among adolescents aged 13-15 years in the Russian Federation using data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS). Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study based on secondary analysis of data from the 2021 Russian Federation GYTS. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, and multivariable logistic regression were used to evaluate sociodemographic and attitudinal factors associated with adolescent tobacco use. Results: < 0.001). Positive tobacco use expectancies were also strongly associated with tobacco use, with adjusted ORs reaching 10.79 among adolescents who agreed that they might enjoy tobacco use. Conclusions: The findings of this study highlight that adolescent tobacco use in Russia continues to be a significant public health issue, characterized by an increasing prevalence with age, an emergence of a relatively small sex difference in prevalence, and strong associations with socioeconomic factors and positive tobacco use expectancies.