Drugs use in Guatemalan adolescents: Risk factors

The study searches for the drug use and the associated factors, in the school population of Guatemala City. A questionnaire was constructed and it was evaluated with four pilot studies. The questionnaire was administrated to a sample of 400 students of three socioeconomic classes, in a range of 11 to 18 years. The data was processed with the EPI-INFO, a statistical program; it was used the Chi-Squared, the Fisher proof and the Odd Ratio, an association measure for the risk estimation. It was founded that in the last 30 days, 12% of the adolescents smoked cigarettes; 21.5% drunk alcoholic beverages; 1.6% smoked marijuana; 0.5% used inhalants, 3.2% take tranquilizer pills; 0.5% used cocaine and 0.3% used heroine. It was indicated as a risk group the male of high or medium class of the east and west region of the city and all adolescents that have neighbors, friends or relatives that use drags.