Prevalence, correlates of and perceptions toward cigarette smoking among adolescents in South Korea.

Objective. To estimate the prevalence of current smoking, correlates of smoking and assess exposure to and perceptions towards smoking by gender. Methods. We used data from the South Korea Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS). Frequencies of selected characteristics and their 95% confidence were obtained. Current cigarette smoking was defined as having smoked, even a single puff, within the last 30 days. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the factors that were considered to be associated with current cigarette smoking in bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results. Of the 5615 respondents, 7.4% males and 5.0% females reported being current smokers (p = 0.003). Having smoked friends who was strongly associated with smoking after controlling for age, gender, parental smoking status, exposure to anti-smoking media messages, and perception of risks of smoking (OR=69.92; 95% CI [41.24, 118.57] for most friends and OR=11.86; 95% CI [7.26, 19.36] for some friends). Male gender and having one or both smoking parents were associated with smoking (OR=1.43; 95% CI [1.09, 1.89] and OR=1.29; 95% CI [1.00-, 1.71] respectively). Exposure to antismoking media messages was negatively associated with smoking (OR=0.52; 95% CI [0.36, 0.77]. Conclusion. Prevalence of smoking among adolescents in South Korea is lower than in many other Asian countries. There is however, need to strengthen anti-tobacco messages especially among adolescents.

Association between bullying victimization and physical fighting among Filipino adolescents: results from the Global School-Based Health Survey.

OBJECTIVE: Interpersonal violence is an important, but neglected public health issue in low and middle-income countries. Adolescent physical fighting not only results in injury, disability and death, but is also associated with other potentially harmful behaviors such substance use and premarital sex. The study aims at dose-response association to prevent adolescent problem behaviors. METHODS: We used data from the 2003-2004 Global School-Based Health Survey conducted among school adolescents in the Philippines. We estimated the prevalence of bullying victimization and physical fighting. We also conducted logistic regression analysis to assess the association between a selected list of explanatory variables and physical fighting. We hypothesized that there would be a dose-response relationship between physical fighting and number of times the adolescent reported being bullied in the past 30 days. RESULTS: Of the 7,338 respondents, 35.5% (34.7% males and 36.1% females) were bullied and 50.0% (51.6% males and 48.8% females) reported having been in a physical fight in the past 12 months. There was a dose-response relationship between bullying victimization and physical fighting (p-trend <0.001). Compared to subjects who were not bullied, those who reported being bullied were more likely to engage in physical fighting after controlling for age, gender, substance use (smoking, alcohol drinking or drug use), and parental supervision (OR=2.38; 95% CI [1.99, 2.86] for 1-2 days of bullying victimization per month, OR=3.55; 95% CI [2.61, 4.83]) for 3-5 days/month per month, OR=4.45; 95% CI [2.61, 7.60]) for 6-9 days/ month, OR=1.91; 95% CI [1.17, 3.13]) for 10-30 days/month.) CONCLUSION: The dose-response relationship between physical fighting and the number of times an adolescent had been a victim of bullying deserves further study. If causal relationship exists, preventing bullying, even if not totally eliminated, may have significant results in preventing physical fighting.

Prevalence and correlates of physical fighting among school-going adolescents in Santiago, Chile / Prevalencia e correlaciones de la lucha física entre adolescentes escolares en Santiago de Chile, Chile

OBJECTIVE: There is a growing interest in injury as a public health issue across the world. There is paucity of data on the prevalence and social correlates of non-fatal interpersonal violence in low- and middle-income income nations. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of, and associated factors for physical fighting among school-going adolescents in Santiago, Chile. METHOD: We conducted a secondary analysis of the Chilean Global School-Based Health Survey conducted in 2004 in Santiago. We aimed to assess the prevalence and social correlates of having been involved in a physical fight in the prior 12 months. RESULTS: Of the 2111 respondents, 40.7 percent (54.3 percent males and 26.6 percent females) reported having been in a physical fight in the prior 12 months. Males were more likely to have been in a physical fight than females [OR = 3.89, 95 percent CI (3.11, 4.85)]. Substance use (cigarette smoking, drinking alcohol, and using drugs) and bullying victimization were positively associated with fighting [OR = 3.05, 95 percent CI (2.40, 3.87) for substance use, and OR = 1.65, 95 percent CI (1.32, 2.05) for bullying]. Parental supervision was negatively associated with physical fighting [OR = 0.62, 95 percent CI (0.50, 0.78)]. CONCLUSION: We have estimated the prevalence of having engaged in a physical fight among in-school adolescents in Santiago, Chile. We have found that the prevalence is similar to what has been reported in diverse settings in Africa, Europe and North America.

OBJETIVO: Existe un creciente interés en el daño como un asunto de salud pública a través del mundo. Hay escasez de datos en la prevalencia y correlaciones sociales de violencia interpersonal no fatal, en naciones con bajos y medianos ingresos. El objetivo de este estudio fue estimar la prevalencia y el factor asociado a lucha física entre estudiantes adolescentes en Santiago, Chile. MÉTODO: Hemos conducido un análisis secundario de la Encuesta Global Chilena de Salud Basada en Escuelas, realizada en el 2004 en Santiago. Nuestro objetivo fue determinar la prevalencia y correlaciones sociales de haber estado involucrado en agresión física en los pasados 12 meses. RESULTADOS: De los 2111 respondedores, 40.7 por ciento (54.3 por ciento masculinos y 26.6 por ciento femeninos) reportaron haber estado en una agresión física en los pasados 12 meses. Los varones tuvieron más probabilidad de haber estado en una agresión física que las mujeres [OR = 3.89, 95 por ciento CI (3.11, 4.85)]. El uso de substancias (fumar cigarros, beber alcohol y usar drogas) e intimidaciones violentas estuvieron positivamente asociados con agresión [OR = 3.05, 95 por ciento CI (2.40, 3.87)] La supervisión parental estuvo asociada negativamente con agresión física [OR = 0.62, 95 por ciento CI (0.50, 0.78)]. CONCLUSIÓN: Hemos estimado la prevalencia de haber estado involucrado en una agresión física entre adolescentes escolares en Santiago, Chile. Encontramos que la prevalencia es similar a la que ha sido reportada en diversos lugares en Africa, Europa y Norteamérica.

Prevalence and correlates of environmental tobacco smoke exposure among adolescents in Mongolia.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence and identify correlates of environmental tobacco exposure (ETS) among adolescents in Mongolia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2003 in Mongolia within the framework of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey. Information was obtained on exposure to Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in the home and outside home, parental and peer smoking. Demographic characteristics such as age and sex were also obtained. Data were analyzed to obtain frequencies of characteristics. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between ETS and relevant predictor variables. RESULTS: 73.9% (71.6%-76.1%) males and 71.7% (69.7%-73.7%) females reported being exposed to ETS either in the home or elsewhere. The odds of exposure were 5.85 (3.83-8.92) if both parents were smokers, 3.65(3.10-4.30) if only father smoked and 6.54 (3.48-12.32) if only mother smoked. Older adolescents were more likely to be exposed to ETS than younger adolescents. Prevalence of exposure to ETS within the home was similar between males and females but males had a higher prevalence of exposure outside of the home than females (50.7% and 42.4% respectively (p < 0.001). Overall proportion of adolescents exposed to ETS in the home was higher than those exposed outside suggesting that domestic exposure was the main form of ETS among adolescents in Mongolia. CONCLUSION: Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is high among school going adolescents in Mongolia. Public health interventions aimed to reduce morbidity from tobacco among adolescents should also accord particular attention toward environmental tobacco smoke.