Abstract
The impact of peer group concerning heath attitudes is very important in adolescents. We conducted a survey giving 534 questionnaires in students of secondary schools in 9 schools of Athens. The percentage of adolescents that responded that may smoke in the future was 76.5%, while most of all their friends are smoking, 40% when their best friend is smoking, 43.9% when some of their friends are smoking and 12.6% when no one is smoking (Fig1). There is a significant trend in adolescents willing to smoke and the smoking attitude of their friends. (p≈2.2*10-16<0.05)
88.2% of adolescents have smoked or tried a tobacco product when most or more of their friends were smoking, 40% when their best friend is smoking, 50.8% when some of their friends are smoking and 13% when none is smoking (Fig2).
There is a strong correlation between the smoking attitude of adolescents and those of their friends (p≈2.2*10-16<0.05).
There is a significant correlation between the days that adolescents smoked more than 1 cigarette the last month and the smoking attitude of their friends. p-value=2.505*10-5<0.05) with an OR=9.23, 95% CI:2.28-48.92, p=0.004-Table 1) of having smoked more than 1 d/month while most/all of their friends were smoking compared to those that none of the friends were smoking and adjusting for other factors.(Fig 3).
There is a significant impact of peers smoking in both the smoking attitudes and trends of adolescent. Thus, prevention programs in schools should also include the development of peer pressure resistance skills.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2018 52: Suppl. 62, PA4568.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2018