[Risk factors of smoking in 11-to-16-year-old adolescents]

The risk factors for smoking have been studied by a self administered questionnaire in 710 boys and 1,233 girls aged 11 to 16 amongst young French school children in the department of Yvelines. The percentage of smokers in this age group was estimated at 15.4%. Comparison of smokers (7.1 cigarettes per day on average) and non-smokers shows an association between smoking in boys and or/girls and the age of the subject, smoking habits of parents, brothers, sisters, members of the family or best friends, socioeconomic status of the parents, one parent families, attitudes and attention of the parents, religious observance, type and area of the school and authorization of smoking in the school yards. Assessed independently the only relationships to tobacco smoking actually were age, smoking habits of best friends, parents, brothers and sisters, and in girls only (for whom the sample size was larger) type and area of the school and one parent families. These results suggest that interventions that are aimed at decreasing smoking amongst the young, should take into account not just individuals, but the young as a group and the familial environment.