Current state and evolution of the tobacco epidemic in portuguese and european school-aged adolescents by sex, between the years 1998 and 2014

Abstract

In Portugal, according to the latest HBSC report, 12% of the boys and 10% of the girls aged 15 years old smoked at least one cigarette per week, which is similar to the European mean prevalence. Regarding smoking evolution in Portugal, between 1997/1998 and 2013/2014, the prevalence at 15 years old decreased from 19% to 12% in boys and from 14% to 10% in girls; at the age of 13, it decreased from 5% in boys and 4% in girls to 3% for both boys and girls; at the age of 11, the prevalence decreased from 2% to 1% among boys and from 1% to 0% among girls. The evolution of tobacco consumption in Portugal and in Europe shows a general decline in smoking prevalence among adolescents, but sex differences are reported. The existing sex differences point to the need to intensify and make gender adaptations to the interventions aimed at preventing tobacco experimentation in adolescents.