Peer impact on smoking, alcohol consumption, drug use and sports activities in adolescents

The impact of peer behavior on smoking, alcohol consumption drug use and sports pursuits by pals was followed on a sample of 2616 Slovak adolescents (including 1370 boys, mean age 15 years) within the project Health Inequalities in Adolescents. The data were collected in the form of questionnaires. A difference of statistical significance in peer impact between the group of boys and girls was noted solely as regards alcohol consumption and sports pursuits. Boys, when compared to girls, have more pals consuming alcohol at least once a week and also such as practice sport on a weekly basis. The influence of peers or pals proved of statistical significance in all the constellations followed (peer smoking - daily/experience with smoking, frequency of smoking, attitude toward smoking, alcohol consumption by peers - at least once a week/experience with alcohol consumption, frequency of alcohol consumption, peer intoxication - at least once a month/experience with alcohol consumption, frequency of alcohol consumption, use of marijuana or hashish by peers/experience with use of marijuana or hashish, attitude toward drug use, sports pursuit by peers every week/frequency of sports pursuit). The greater the number of risk behaving pals, the greater was the probability of the corresponding risk behavior occurring in the adolescents.