Risky Health Behaviors among Albanian Youths: Smoking, Drinking, Body Mass Index (BMI) and their Correlates

Aim This paper presents an analysis of the prevalence, age distribution and selected socio-economic correlates of smoking, alcohol drinking and BMI among 15-25 years old in Albania. Subjects and methods The work is based on a representative sample of the Albanian population between ages 15-24 years. Results For all three risk factors, the prevalence of exposure among men is much higher compared to that among women. Prevalence of alcohol drinking and smoking is more than 6 times higher among men (around 19 %) compared to women. Twenty four percent of men and 11 % of women are overweight or obese. Ten percent of women are underweight. Among men, drinking prevalence is highest among married individuals. Among women, smoking is associated with urban residency. Smoking prevalence in women of the age-group 20-24 is two to three times higher compared to ages 25-49. Conclusions The result of this study are addressing to policymaker of Albania government.