Citation

Mejía R, Kaplan CP, Alderete E, Gregorich SE, Pérez-Stable EJ. Prev. Med. 2013; 57(3): 194-197.

Affiliation

Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad (CEDES), Argentina.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.05.011

PMID

23732243

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate effect of gender role attitudes on tobacco and alcohol use among Argentinean girls. METHOD: Cross-sectional survey of 10th grade students attending 27 randomly selected schools in Jujuy, Argentina. Questions about tobacco and alcohol use were adapted from global youth surveys. Five items with 5-point response options of agreement-disagreement assessed attitude towards egalitarian (higher score) gender roles. RESULTS: 2,133 girls, aged 13-18 years, 71% Indigenous, 22% mixed Indigenous/European, and 7% European responded. Of these, 60% had ever smoked, 32% were current smokers, 58% ever drinkers, 27% drank in previous month, and 13% had ≥5 drinks on one occasion. Mean response to the gender role scale was 3.49 (95% CI=3.41-3.57) out of 5 tending toward egalitarian attitudes. Logistic regression models using the gender role scale score as the main predictor and adjusting for demographic and social confounders showed that egalitarian gender role was associated with ever smoking (OR=1.25; 95% CI 1.09-1.44), ever drinking (OR=1.24; 95% CI 1.10-1.40), drinking in prior month (OR=1.21; 95% CI 1.07-1.37) and ≥5 drinks on one occasion (OR=1.15; 95% CI 1.00-1.33), but was not significant for current smoking. CONCLUSION: Girls in Jujuy who reported more egalitarian gender role attitudes had higher odds of smoking or drinking. (200 words).

Language: en