Objectives

To determine the prevalence of adolescent smoking in the Russian Federation and examine what factors are associated with it.

Methods

Data were drawn from Round 13 of the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS) carried out in 2004. The sample consists of 815 adolescents (430 boys, 385 girls) aged 14–17 years who answered questions about their health behaviours.

Results

Smoking was more prevalent among boys than girls (26.1 vs. 5.7%). Maternal smoking and adolescent alcohol use were associated with smoking among both sexes. The self-assessment of one’s socioeconomic position as unfavourable was associated with girls’ smoking, while living in a disrupted family, physical inactivity and having a low level of self-esteem were predictive of boys’ smoking.

Conclusions

The family environment appears to be an important determinant of adolescent smoking in Russia. In particular, boys and girls may be modelling the negative health behaviour lifestyles of their parents, with unhealthy behaviours clustering. Efforts to reduce adolescent smoking in Russia must address the negative effects emanating from the parental home whilst also addressing associated behaviours such as alcohol use.