Tobacco consumption in adolescents and school performance

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To determine the percentage of adolescent smokers, identify the sociodemographic variables, predictors of school performance of adolescents and analyse the relationship between tobacco use and school performance. DESIGN: Quantitative, analytical, cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational, explanatory and retrospective study. SETTING: 2nd and 3rd Cycle Basic School in the Viseu Municipality, Portugal, 2011-2012. PARTICIPANTS: Non-probability convenience sampling, with 380 students from the 7th, 8th and 9th grades, aged between 11 and 17 years. Measurements: Data collected by questionnaire with socio-demographic information, smoking behaviour, and school performance scale (adapted from Fermin, 2005). RESULTS: The prevalence of adolescents who smoke was 12.4%. Daily smokers are more boys than girls (55%) and over the age of 15 years (47.81%). Academic achievement is higher in girls (p < 0.001), the younger students (p < 0.001), and in those with a parent with secondary or higher education (p = 0.019) and students who do not smoke (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco use is associated with decreased school performance. It is important to identify risk groups and develop prevention policies, starting in the school, in the field of addictive behaviour, due to impacts at the individual, family, school and social level

RESUMEN

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