Resumo

BEJARANO, Ignacio  e  ALDERETE, Ethel. Tobacco and emotions: Negative emotions as predictors of tobacco use initiation among province of Jujuy adolescents. Cuad. Fac. Humanid. Cienc. Soc., Univ. Nac. Jujuy [online]. 2009, n.37, pp.49-62. ISSN 1668-8104.

The term "negative emotions" refers to emotions that produce a distressing emotional experience namely, anxiety, anger, sadness or depression. The objective of this study was to examine and discuss negative emotions as predictors of tobacco use initiation in adolescents living in different geographic regions of the province of Jujuy, Argentina. We conducted 159 individual interviews and 38 focal groups among 302 adolescents of both sexes (10-19 years of age). Results indicate that: 1) most of adolescents interviewed initiated tobacco consumption very prematurely without knowing why and without knowing the exact consequences of such decision; 2) negative emotions played an important role in the initiation of consumption, with anxiety playing the most salient role; 3) negative emotions emerge as a response to specific situations and circumstances; 4) anxiety is frequently associated with depression, sadness and loneliness; 5) we did not find differences across geographic regions. Negative emotions reported in this study reflect individual life experiences. When these emotional states are strong, frequent, or prolonged in time, adolescents show a tendency to change their behavior deviating from health lifestyles and adopting addictive conducts such as tobacco consumption.

Palavras-chave : Tobacco; Adolescents; Negative emotions; Jujuy; Geographical regions.

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