Evaluating Gender Differences in Smoking Prevalence among Young Adults Applying for Registration to Physical Training and Sports High School

• DOI: 10.5455/pmb.1-1331908102
• Publication Date: 2013-08-01T21:18:09Z
• Authors: Pinar Bostan; Osman Kahyaoglu; Dogan Erdogdu; Osman Elbek
• Keywords: 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; 5. Gender equality; 4. Education; 10. No inequality; 3. Good health

Background: Experimentation with smoking occurs primarily during adolescence. Preventing smoking initiation among adolescents has become a significant global public health concern in tobacco control. Objective: To evaluate whether there are differences in smoking habit within gender, among young adults applying for registration to Physical Training and Sports (PTS) High School in Sakarya University, Turkey. Method: Young adults applying for registration to PTS High School were asked demographic information and about their smoking habits and smoking status of family members for three consequent years (2006, 2007, 2008). Gender differences in smoking status were assessed by chi-square and one-way anova by year, with using SPSS for Windows 16.0 Results: Of total 2552 individuals responded, 77.6% (n=1980) were boys and 22.4% (n=572) were girls; mean age was 19.7±1.9 (16-27).Smoking prevelances differed significantly between girls and boys in 2006 and 2007, but not in 2008 (respectively p=0.004, p=0.001, p=0.08). The prevelance of smoking among boys seen in 2006 was 32.3% and it was 19.6% in 2008.The prevelance of smoking among girls seen in 2006 was 20.1% and it was 12.8% in 2008. The decreasing trend in the prevelance of current smokers and daily smokers among girls was not as much as among boys.The prevalence of daily smoking differed by gender only in 2006; the difference by gender was seemed to dissapeared in 2007 and 2008 (respectively; p=0.01, p=0.1; p=0.9) There was no difference between girls and boys in the age of initiation (p=0.5).Boys’ smoking habits were only related with the smoking habit of the brother/sisters (p=0.001). Whereas smoking habit among girls were related both with parents (p=0.006 and p=0.01) and brothers/sisters (p≤0.0001). Conclusion: This study provides additional information about the trend in smoking among girls; supporting the idea that tobacco control policies maintained in 21st century should take into account gender differences in smoking.