ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of adolescent smoking underlines the necessity of preventive measures, which goals are based on representative data. It is not known whether schools participate in prevention interventions, where smoking constitutes a relatively big or minor problem. OBJECTIVE: This study examines a population of adolescents on (a) different smoking variables and (b) compares them with representative, population based data. METHODS: Survey of n = 324 adolescents of grade 7-10 in 3 schools in Greifswald and surroundings that were ready to participate in a prevention curriculum. RESULTS: In total, 80% of the students under examination indicated to have at least tried smoking in their lifetime. Daily smokers were 31%, 18% were occasional smokers, 39% have indicated that they hat tried to quit without success. These figures vary across age, grade and sex. Smoking prevalence is comparable between schools ready to participate in prevention and regionally assessed data, but much higher than population based data would have estimated. CONCLUSION: The goal of preventive measures can not be solely grounded on representative, population-based data, but needs (a) to be regionally defined and (b) to consider the population actually participating in such prevention interventions. The readiness to participate is not higher in schools where smoking constitutes a comparable minor problem. Preventive measures are applied in schools where the problem is perceived.
