Original scientific paper
SMOKING HABITS OF ZAGREB SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
Slavko Sakoman
; "Sestre milosrdnice" Clinical Hospital, Zagreb
Marina Kuzman
; Croatian Institute for Public Health, Zagreb
Vlado Šakić
; Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb
Abstract
The investigation has been conducted on a representative sample
of Zagreb's secondary schools in their first c1asses (N=
958), their average age being 15.6 years. In 1995 a poll took place
which explored the extent of people's smoking habits, their attitudes
against smoking, as well as the possible influence of the
way they spend their free time on the acceptance of tobacco
smoking. Results pointed out that in the last month of school there
was 24.5% of those who smoked one or more cigarettes each day.
Their parents are smokers in about 60% of the cases (fathers 63%,
mothers 52%), but smoking behaviour within the family is not statistically
significantly bound with the smoking behaviour of youths.
Students who spend less time studying, those who choose the
kind of school that does not indicate their orientation towards an
educational career, and especially.these who skip CIasses, smoke
quite often, more in quantity and begin their bad habit earlier. Students
who spend their free time watching TV, going "out", playing
at "game-machines" or riding motor bikes, are under a considerably
higher risk of accepting the smoking habit, while those who
spend more time studying, doing sports, reading books or pursuing
other hobbies are under a much lower risk. It is advisable to
significantly increase the promotion of quality preventive programmes
in schools, as well as organise a series of social measures
in order to protect the interests and health of young people.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
31661
URI
Publication date:
30.6.1997.
Visits: 3.310 *