This is the conclusion of the study carried out by a team of researchers from the University of Montreal (Canada) and collected in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention .
The experts conducted a study on addiction in adolescents, among 1,293 students of both genders in order to find out whether boys are more likely to quit smoking than girls or vice versa . The study results revealed that boys were 80% more likely to quit smoking than girls, and older adolescents were 30% more likely to quit than adolescent girls. In addition, participants who practiced sports had about 44% more chances of quitting smoking, in both sexes.
After initial data collection using a questionnaire and anthropometric measurements , the researchers collected data every three months for the next five years, until the students completed their high school education.
The reason for this difference between women and men, according to the findings of the study, is based, among other things, that the warnings on cigarette packages do intimidate the male sex but not the female .
“Overall, these results support the hypothesis that new smokers living in families with healthy habits where not smoking is the norm find it easier to quit. It is also essential to understand the factors that promote smoking cessation among girls compared to boys , to design specific interventions based on gender, ”says Jennifer O’Loughlin, lead author of the study.
