Abstract
Objectives
To analyse Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) data to determine the role of family background on cigarette smoking among adolescents in Slovakia.
Methods
The GYTS is a school-based survey of students aged 13–15 years developed by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The GYTS was conducted in Slovakia in 2007.
Results
Students from families where one or more parents were smokers were significantly more likely to report lifetime smoking, current cigarette smoking and signs of nicotine dependence (only girls). Socioeconomic status of parents as measured by parent educational level and employment status was not statistically associated with students’ smoking status. Girls from families with lower socioeconomic status showed more frequently positive attitudes regarding smoking of their peers.
Conclusions
Considering family background, parental smoking plays the most important role in smoking of their children regardless of employment status and educational level. The findings suggest that the tobacco control program effort in Slovakia needs to focus on implementation and enforcement for those policies already in place as well as expansion into additional measures.
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Acknowledgments
The fieldwork of GYTS 2007 in Slovakia was supported by European Commission through grant of the Governmental Office of the Slovak Republic, respecting standard conditions of projects co-funded by European Commission. The project was administered by National Coalition for Tobacco Control in Slovak Republic together with Stop Smoking NGO, Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic and Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University. The authors would like to extend their thanks to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office on Smoking and Health as well as World Health Organization, namely Dr. Darina Sedláková, PhD., MPH., director of the WHO Office in Slovakia for her substantial support and assistance. The authors are also deeply thankful to all persons contributing in same way in the survey, particularly field administrators from Regional Public Health Authorities, since without their readiness and understanding the project could not have been realized.
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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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Baška, T., Warren, C.W., Hudečková, H. et al. The role of family background on cigarette smoking among adolescent school children in Slovakia: findings from the 2007 Slovakia Global Youth Tobacco Survey. Int J Public Health 55, 591–597 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-010-0168-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-010-0168-x