Differences in the prevalence of risk factors for non-communicable chronic diseases among smoking and non-smoking urban adolescents

Svrha ovog istraživanja bila je utvrditi pojavnost čimbenika rizika i razlike u pojavnosti čimbenika rizika obolijevanja od kroničnih nezaraznih bolesti kod urbanih adolescenata koji konzumiraju te koji ne konzumiraju duhan i duhanske proizvode. Uzorak ovog istraživanja sačinjavala je grupa od 822 adolescenta, učenika i učenica srednjih škola grada Zagreba, starosti 15.6 ± 0.4 godina. Prema spolu, uzorak je sačinjavalo 399 djevojaka i 423 dječaka. Učenici su nasumično odabrani za sudjelovanje u istraživanju prema protokolu znanstvenog projekta CRO-PALS, koji se provodio u trajanju od četiri godine, od 2014. do 2017. godine. Za potrebe ovog rada su analizirani rezultati prikupljeni 2014. godine. Rezultati pokazuju da od ukupnog broja sudionika u istraživanju 17.8% djevojaka i 19.9% dječaka redovito ili povremeno konzumira duhanske proizvode, pri čemu nije utvrđeno postojanje statistički značajne zavisnosti u pojavnosti nekog čimbenika rizika o konzumaciji duhana. Ipak, kod promatranog uzorka su u oba spola opažene više frekvencije prekomjerne tjelesne mase i pretilosti te provođenja previše vremena pred ekranima kod onih koji konzumiraju duhan i duhanske proizvode. Uz to, kod ispitanih djevojaka su uočeni nešto viši postotci tjelesno neaktivnih i abdominalno pretilih među uživateljicama duhana i duhanskih proizvoda. U skladu s rezultatima ranijih studija, ovo istraživanje pokazuje na okolnosti da su duhanski proizvodi dostupni i značajnom dijelu adolescenata u gradu Zagrebu. Kako bi se uočeni postoci pušača među učenicima prvih razreda srednjih škola grada Zagreba smanjili, valjalo bi kvalitetnije nadzirati dostupnost duhana djeci i mladima. Osim toga, čini se da bi gradska uprava dodatne napore trebala usmjeriti promoviranju nepušenja, ne samo kao važnog čimbenika zdravlja, nego i poželjnog činitelja statusa mladih u društvu vršnjaka.The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in incidence of risk factors for chronic noncommunicable disease (NCD) in urban adolescents who consume tobacco products and who do not consume tobacco products. The research sample consisted of 822 high school students in the city of Zagreb, aged 15.6 ± 0.4 years. According to sex, 399 girls and 423 boys were included in the sample. Students were randomly selected to participate in the study according to the protocol of the scientific project CRO-PALS, which was conducted for a period of four years, from 2014 to 2017. Data collected in opening 2014 year were analyzed in this study. The results indicated that 17.8% of girls and 19.9% of boys who participated in the study regularly or occasionally consume tobacco products, but the occurrence of any risk factor was not dependent for tobacco consumption. Still, within above sample, higher frequencies of overweight and obesity and excessive screen time were observed in both sexes for those consuming tobacco products. In addition, in studied girls were observed higher percentages of physically inactive and abdominal obese women among tobacco consumers. In line with the results of previous similar studies, this investigation suggests that tobacco products are still available to numerous adolescents in the city of Zagreb. In order to reduce the observed percentage of smokers among first-grade high school students in Zagreb, the monitoring of tobacco availability to children and adolescents should be improved. In addition, it seems that the city policies should promote non-smoking, not only as an important health factor, but as a desirable status of young people among their peers