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Socio-demographic Correlates of Cigarette Smoking Among High School Students

Results from the British Columbia Youth Survey on Smoking and Health

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Abstract

Objective: To describe the association between selected socio-demographic factors (age, gender, ethnicity, and region) and the prevalence of smoking among adolescents in two regions of British Columbia, and to report recent findings related to the prevalence of tobacco use in British Columbia.

Methods: A cross-sectional school-based survey was conducted using a random sample of 3,280 students from 13 schools in two regions of British Columbia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between age, region, gender and ethnicity and smoking status.

Results: Ethnic group membership was strongly associated with smoking status, which changed very little after controlling for the other socio-demographic factors. Controlling for age and ethnicity, the effect of gender on smoking status was moderated by region.

Conclusion: Reliance on general population tobacco use prevalence rates masks important ethnic and gender differences. To increase the effectiveness of tobacco control policies and programming, greater attention needs to be paid to the socio-demographic correlates associated with adolescents’ tobacco use.

Résumé

Objectif: Décrire l’association entre certains facteurs socio-démographiques (l’âge, le sexe, l’appartenance ethnique et la région) et la prévalence du tabagisme chez les adolescents de deux régions de la Colombie-Britannique et rendre compte de constatations récentes liées à la prévalence du tabagisme dans cette province.

Méthode: Nous avons mené une enquête transversale en milieu scolaire auprès d’un échantillon aléatoire de 3 280 élèves de 13 écoles situées dans deux régions de la Colombie-Britannique. Par analyse de régression logistique à plusieurs variables, nous avons déterminé l’association entre l’âge, la région, le sexe et l’appartenance ethnique, d’une part, et l’usage du tabac d’autre part.

Résultats: L’appartenance ethnique était fortement associée à l’usage du tabac, un résultat qui a très peu changé, même après voir apporté des ajustements pour tenir compte des effets des autres facteurs socio-démographiques. Après les ajustements en fonction de l’âge et de l’appartenance ethnique, l’effet du sexe sur l’usage du tabac était modéré par la région.

Conclusion: En s’appuyant exclusivement sur les taux de prévalence du tabagisme dans la population générale, on masque d’importantes différences liées à l’appartenance ethnique et au sexe. Pour accroître l’efficacité des politiques et des programmes antitabac, il faut s’intéresser de plus près aux corrélats socio-démographiques associés au tabagisme chez les adolescents.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nursing and Health Behaviour Research Unit, School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, T201 - 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada

    Joy L. Johnson PhD, RN (Professor and CIHR Investigator) & Joan L. Bottorff PhD, RN

  2. Harvard School of Public Health, USA

    Rochelle S. Tucker MHSc (Doctoral Candidate, Project Director)

  3. NAHBR, USA

    Rochelle S. Tucker MHSc (Doctoral Candidate, Project Director) & Pamela A. Ratner PhD, RN (Associate Professor and CIHR New Investigator)

  4. College of Arts, Social and Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Canada

    Kenneth M. Prkachin PhD, RPsych (Professor)

  5. Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, UBC, Canada

    Jean Shoveller PhD (Assistant Professor)

  6. UBC, Canada

    Bruno Zumbo PhD (Professor, Measurement, Evaluation & Research Methodology)

Authors
  1. Joy L. Johnson PhD, RN
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  2. Rochelle S. Tucker MHSc
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  3. Pamela A. Ratner PhD, RN
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  4. Joan L. Bottorff PhD, RN
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  5. Kenneth M. Prkachin PhD, RPsych
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  6. Jean Shoveller PhD
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  7. Bruno Zumbo PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joy L. Johnson PhD, RN.

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Johnson, J.L., Tucker, R.S., Ratner, P.A. et al. Socio-demographic Correlates of Cigarette Smoking Among High School Students. Can J Public Health 95, 268–271 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03405129

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03405129

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