Exercise and tobacco and alcohol consumption by students in Barcelona

The methods and results of a cross-sectional survey studying lifestyles adopted in childhood and related to prevalent health problems in adult age are presented. A sample of 2,255, representing Barcelona schoolchildren in 5th and 8th grades, answered the questionnaire in 1986-87. In 8th grade, an 8.5% of boys and a 7.8% of girls report smoking at least once a week, while daily alcohol intake is reported by 4.4% of boys and 2.5% of girls. As for physical activity level, it is low or very low in 21% boys and 4.9% girls in 5th grade, while these proportions are 12.5% and 46% respectively in 8th grade. An important increase of alcohol and tobacco use is observed between these grades, and a shift in attitudes towards it, radically opposed to its use in 5th grade and much more tolerant in 8th grade. As for physical activity, there is an important sex difference which increases with time. (Gac Sanit 1989; 3(11): 355-65).