Factors associated with smoking initiation among school-aged adolescents.

Objective: To identify factors associated with smoking initiation in adolescent secondary school students.
Method: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in 2014 with 864 adolescents at a secondary school in southern Brazil. Data were collected using an instrument with sociodemographic questions, application of the Fagerström Nicotine Dependence Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory, and analysed using descriptive statistics, Fisher's Exact test, Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney's test, and the Poisson Regression test.
Results: Fifty-four of the adolescents started smoking, of which 35 continued smoking and exhibited high nicotine dependence. Smoking was associated with brown skin (p = 0.020), single-parent household (p = 0.006), a fair family relationship (p = 0.003), and drug users in the family (p = 0.04). A significantly higher prevalence ratio was detected for boys (p = 0.038), higher family income (p> 0.001), living with one family member (p> 0.001), and a fair family relationship (p> 0.001).
Conclusions: We identified factors associated with smoking initiation, revealing the importance of supporting health education strategies to change this reality.