[Incipient tobacco use and associated factors among adolescents from the rural area of Vitória da Conquista in the Brazilian state of Bahia].

The aim of this study is to describe incipient tobacco use and associated factors among adolescents from the rural zone of southwestern Bahia. It was based on data from the cross-sectional Adolescer research project among 390 adolescents conducted in 2015. Data were analyzed using frequency and chi-square measurements and Poisson regression with robust variance to estimate the prevalence ratios (PR) for incipient tobacco use in relation to the explanatory variables. Among the adolescents, 5.1% had smoked at some stage and 0.3% smoked regularly. The following variables were associated with incipient smoking: male gender (PR = 6.46); having had sexual intercourse at some stage in life (PR = 20.55); having parents who rarely or never understood their problems (PR=7.89); having 3 or more friends (PR = 0.10). Despite low incipient smoking or the prevalence of regular smoking, which indicate the adoption of a healthier lifestyle or greater autonomy and decision-making ability for non-smoking, it is acknowledged that there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco. The recommendation is that an intersectoral partnership between education and health be created to foster health promotion and disease prevention, with an emphasis on curtailing smoking habits.