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Background: In Russia, tobacco and alcohol use by adolescents are serious problems. In Finland, as in many other European countries, alcohol use is a growing concern. Aims: This study aimed to find out whether similar environmental factors predict adolescents' alcohol use among 15-year old adolescents in two politically and economically different cultures: in the Pitkäranta district in Russian Karelia and in eastern Finland. Methods: Research data gathered by self-administered questionnaires from the second North Karelia Youth Study and the Pitkäranta Youth Study were analysed. Path models using the structural equation modelling (SEM) approach were constructed to test whether similar path structures fit for boys and girls in both countries, and to test whether regression coefficients are similar between the cultures and by gender. Results: The results showed that alcohol use by family members and best friend is positively related to adolescents' alcohol use both directly and indirectly. The best friend's alcohol use was the most important predictor of adolescents' own alcohol use in every sub-sample. When indirect influences were also identified, the significance of parents' and siblings' alcohol use, in addition to alcohol use by the best friends, was strongly supported. Conclusions: The results highlighted the importance of the process of peer selection for adolescents' choices, and the importance of offering support to the parents and to the health personnel working with children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this study was to find out whether family members' (mother, father, siblings) and best friend's smoking is related to 9th grade pupils' daily smoking in Eastern Finland and in the Pitkäranta district, in the Republic of Karelia, Russia, and whether these relations have changed in these two culturally very different neighbourhood countries from 1995 to 2013., Methods: Data comprised four cross-sectional studies in all schools of the Pitkäranta region and selected schools in Eastern Finland. In data analyses, structural equation modelling techniques were used., Results: Our findings showed that best friend's smoking had the strongest influence on adolescents' smoking in both countries and study years (p < .01). The relations among family members were highly different between Pitkäranta and Eastern Finland, particularly in 2013., Conclusions: Results suggest that health promotion in schools should take into account cultural impacts and pay special attention to pupils who have family members and friends who smoke.

Aims: The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of smoking, smoking experimentation and future intention to smoke in the Pitkäranta district, the Republic of Karelia, Russia and Eastern Finland in the years 1995 and 2013., Methods: Cross-sectional studies were carried out among 15-year-old ninth grade adolescents in all schools in the Pitkäranta region (1995: n=385, response rate 95%; 2013: 182, response rate 98%) and a sample of schools in Eastern Finland (1995: n=2098, response rate 91%; 2013: 635 response rate 95%)., Results: The daily smoking prevalence among adolescents did not change either in Eastern Finland or in the Pitkäranta district from 1995 to 2013. However, smoking among Finnish adolescents was more common than among Russians (p<0.001) and boys, in general, smoke more commonly than girls (p<0.001). In Finland, early smoking experimentations declined by half among both genders but in Pitkäranta the girls' smoking experimentations tripled (relative risk 3.03, 95% confidence interval 1.76-5.20) from 1995 to 2013. The combined effect of country and gender was significant (p<0.001) for future intention to smoke. In Finland future intentions to smoke were very similar in boys and girls compared with obvious gender differences in Russia., Conclusions: These results suggest that more attention should be paid for programmes that consider better gender and culture-specific issues in preventing initiation of smoking and promoting an anti-smoking climate in societies., (© 2015 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.)

Aim: Mortality and morbidity from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is a major public health problem in Russia. The aim of the study was to examine trends and educational differences from 1992 to 2007 in NCD risk factors in Pitkäranta in the Republic of Karelia, Russia., Methods: Four cross-sectional population health surveys were carried out in the Pitkäranta region, Republic of Karelia, Russia, in 1992, 1997, 2002, and 2007. An independent random sample of 1000 persons from the general population aged 25-64 years was studied in each survey round. The total number of respondents in the four surveys was 2672. The surveys included a questionnaire, physical measurements, and blood sampling, and they were carried out following standard protocols., Results: The NCD risk factor trends generally increased in Pitkäranta during the study period with the exception of systolic blood pressure and smoking among men. Especially significant increases were observed in alcohol consumption among both sexes and in smoking among women. Educational differences and differences in trends were relatively small with the exception of a significant increase in smoking in the lowest female educational category., Conclusions: Trends showing an increase in some major NCD risk factors and signs of emerging socio-economic differences call for stronger attention to effective health promotion and preventive policies in Russia., (© 2014 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.)