The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: FCTC calls for action in Indigenous populations, however epidemiological data on Native Peoples and smoking in Latina America is lacking. We examined smoking patterns and risk factors among Indigenous and non- Indigenous youth in the Province of Jujuy, Argentina.

Methods: A survey was conducted among 3,189 8^th graders enrolled in a stratified random sample of schools in 2004. Cross-tabulations and Chi-square tests were applied to the following smoking categories by ethnicity and sex: never-smoked vs. smoked at least a puff; never-smokers and ever-puffers vs. current and established-smokers; established-smokers vs. others. Logistic regression models examined psychosocial risk factors for established smokers --youth more advanced in the smoking trajectory--, including sex interactions.

Results: 4% were Amazonic, 39% Andean, 23%, Indigenous-unspecified group, 34% non-Indigenous. The percentage of ever-puffers was similar across ethnic groups (60%, 52%, 48%, 51%; p=0.10). Compared with other ethnic groups a higher percentage of Amazonic youth were current smokers, (33%) vs. (20-22%; p=0.02), and established smokers, (15%) vs. (5-7%; p=0.02). A higher percentage of Andean boys were ever-puffers (56%) or established smokers (9%), compared with Andean girls (48%; p=0.005; 4% p=001). For established smokers alcohol drinking (Adj.OR=6.1), adult smoking cues (Adj.OR=2.0), and risk-taking-behavior (Adj.OR=2.8) were significant risk factors for both sexes; depression (Adj.OR=3.0), Amazonic ethnicity (Adj.OR=2.1) and smoking-peers (Adj.OR=6.4) for girls only, and Andean ethnicity (Adj.OR=2.3), living with smokers (Adj.OR=2.5) and working (Adj.OR=2.5), for boys only. Conclusions: This study bridges an important information gap, documenting novel ethnic and gender differences in smoking behavior in the region.