[Environmental dependence of cigarette smoking among adolescents of upper-secondary schools in Poland in 2005. Initial results].

This study was designed to evaluate the current smoking status among adolescents of upper-secondary schools in Poland and to examine potential relationships between environmental factors (place of living and school type) and current cigarette smoking, smoking experimentation and age of first cigarette. Questionnaire survey was conducted in February - March 2005 as a project: "Health perception, life satisfaction and health behavior of upper-secondary school pupils in Poland in psychosocial and economical determinants' context". The data was collected from representative sample of pupils in Poland (N=3123), Ist and IIIrd grade students at upper-secondary schools of different school types. Almost 3/4 adolescents had reported the attempts of smoking, 1/4 declared current smoking. The smoking prevalence among boys was higher than among girls, among older pupils (18 y.) than younger (16y.) and among students living in towns. Especially there was a significant difference of rate of smoking among young women from towns than from rural areas. Special risk group of cigarette smoking were pupils of basic vocational schools. Risk of current smoking was more than 4 times higher among them, than among pupils from general secondary schools. Strategies aimed at influencing smoking behavior need to be directed especially to basic vocational schools students and girls in towns.