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Predictors of smoking behaviour among indigenous Sami adolescents and non-indigenous peers in North Norway

Center for Sami Health Research, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway, annas{at}ism.uit.no

Harold Sexton

Psychiatric Research Center for Northern Norway (NNPF), University Hospital of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway

Siv Kvernmo

Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway

Aims: A study was undertaken to examine predictors of smoking behaviour among indigenous Sami adolescents and non-indigenous peers in North Norway, and to examine for ethnic-specific predictors. Methods: This is a cross-sectional and longitudinal school-based and postal questionnaire study initially including 2,718 10th to 12th grade students (response rate (RR): 85%) in 1994—95 (T1). At the three-year follow-up (T2), in 1997 — 98, 1,405 were included (RR: 57%). Indigenous Sami contributed 23% (599/324) of the total samples. Logistic regression was used to examine the influence of sociodemographic and psychosocial predictors on smoking behaviour. Results: The proportions of regular smokers were 33% (729) and 35% (401) at T1 and T2, respectively, while 19% (153) had initiated current smoking during the study period. Substance use, externalizing problems, sexual activity and vocational training (p0.01) predicted regular smoking both cross-sectionally and prospectively. Among non-smokers at T1, age and frequent alcohol intoxication predicted current smoking prospectively (p0.01). Frequent intoxication predicted all stages of smoking (p0.001). Ethnicity did not predict smoking in this study. Laestadian Christian affiliation increased the prevalence of experimental smoking at T1 but only for Sami students. Conclusions: Youth smoking behaviour was strongly associated with risk-taking behaviours, indicating that a broader focus on health-compromising behaviours in anti-smoking campaigns is needed. The findings indicate little need for culturally sensitive anti-smoking campaigns specially designed for indigenous Sami youth, as the main predictors (risk-taking behaviours) were similar across ethnic groups.

Key Words: adolescence • ethnicity • indigenous • minority • Norway • predictors • risk behaviour • Sami • smoking.

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, Vol. 32, No. 2, 118-129 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/140349480403200206


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