Prevalence of adolescent risk behaviour: questionnaire study

Aim: To determine the prevalence of risk behaviours, including smoking, alcohol and psychoactive drug consumption among adolescents in grammar schools. Methods: The survey was conducted among adolescents in Primorsko-goranska County in Croatia in 2005. The prevalence of smokers, alcohol, and psychoactive drug consumers in 1.682 representative sample adolescents in Primorsko-goranska county was determined by means of valid self-reported questionnaires. The adolescents were stratified according to gender and type of secondary school. Results: Approximately half (49.0%) of the students smoked cigarettes. Every third student smoked cigarettes every day and several times a week, while 77% of students consumed beer, wine and alcoholic beverages occasionally. The frequency of illicit drug consumption (occasional, several times a month, several times a week and every day) ranged from 0.4% for opiates and amphetamines to 10.4% for marihuana. Girls consumed more cigarettes several time a week and every day than boys, whereas boys consumed more beer, wine, and marihuana. Conclusions: Most adolescents had personal experience with substance use, mostly tobacco, alcohol and marihuana. First contact with alcohol and tobacco usually occured during elementary school, and with marihuana during the first year of high school. Comprehensive program of health promotion and drug prevention should be implemented in the lower grades of elementary school as the possible most effective strategy to combat adolescence risk behaviour. Cilj: Utvrditi prevalenciju rizičnih ponašanja, uključujući pušenje, pijenje alkoholnih pića i konzumaciju psihoaktivnih sredstava kod adolescenata u srednjoj školi. Metode: Ispitivanje je provedeno 2005. godine u adolescenata Primorsko-goranske županije. Pomoću validiranog anketnog upitnika na reprezentativnom uzorku od 1.682 učenika utvrđena je prevalencija pušača, konzumenata alkoholnih pića i psihoaktivnih sredstava. Adolescenti su bili stratificirani prema spolu i vrsti srednje škole. Rezultati: Gotovo polovina (49%) mladih puši cigarete. Svaki treći student to čini svakodnevno i nekoliko puta tjedno, dok 77% mladih povremeno konzumira pivo, vino i žestoka alkoholna pića. Frekvencija konzumacije ilegalnih sredstava ovisnosti (povremeno, nekoliko puta mjesečno, nekoliko puta tjedno i svakodnevno) kreće se u rasponu od 0.4% za opijate i amfetamin do 10.4% za marihuanu. Djevojke više konzumiraju cigarete, nekoliko puta tjedno i svakodnevno, dok mladići