Background: Exposure to violence in youth may be associated with subsequent substance use and other adverse health effects. This study examined tow middle-income areas with different levels and types of exposure to violence.
Methods: Association of exposure to verbal and physical violence with cigarette smoking in the West Bank oPt (2008) and in Jujuy Argentina (2006) was examined using cross-sectional surveys of 14 to 17-year old youth in 7th to 10th grade using probabilistic sampling.
Results: Violence exposure rates were more than double for Palestinian girls (99.6% vs. 41.2%) and boys (98.7% vs. 41.1%) compared with Argentineans. Argentinean girls had current smoking rates eight times higher than Palestinian girls (56.2% vs. 7.1%). Exposure to verbal (OR 2.3; 95% CI=1.2-4.6) and physical (OR 2.0; 95% CI=1.1.-3.7) violence from family members increased the odds of smoking among Palestinian girls. Verbal violence from family (Adjusted OR1.6; 95% CI=1.2-2.1) and physical violence from nonfamily members (Adjusted OR 1.8; 95% CI=1.2-2.8) increased the odds of smoking among Argentinean boys.
Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of producing context and gender specific evidence, to inform and increase the impact of targeted prevention strategies.