Perception of Health Risks among Adolescents due to Consumption of Cigarettes, Alcohol and Psychoactive Substances in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Publishing year

2015

Type of Document

Peer reviewed article/paper

Authors

Pilav, A., Rudić, A., Branković, S. and Djido, V.

Journal / Publication name

Public Health

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This article describes the perception of health risks in adolescents due to the consumption of cigarettes, alcohol and psychoactive substances in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBIH), as well as their observation of the behavior of their peers related to addictive behaviors.

METHODS: For the analysis was used a database from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) survey which was conducted in FBIH in 2011. The target population were students in the second grade of secondary schools in FBIH born in 1995 according to the ESPAD protocol. The total number of respondents from the cohort born in 1995 was 3813 students.

RESULTS: The research results showed that the prevalence of risk perception due to the consumption of cigarettes, alcohol and psychoactive substances among adolescents in the FBIH is lower than the mean prevalence in countries which have implemented the ESPAD survey of 2011.

CONCLUSIONS: Preventive activities should be aimed at adolescent risk behaviours and empower them to make the right decisions that can have far reaching significance. Attention has to be paid to selective prevention that is directed towards individuals or subgroup of population where the risk of developing disorder is much higher than average.