Objective: To identify the influence of alcohol or tobacco consumption along with independent variables (sex and age; time and leisure activities; motivations, patterns, modalities, and goals of physical and sports-related activity; and behaviors within the family environment) in physical and sports-related activity among pupils enrolled in compulsory secondary education in Spain and Mexico.
Methods: A questionnaire on habits related to physical and sports-related activity, consumption of alcoholic beverages or tobacco, and the influence of the family environment was answered by 3,249 Spanish pupils and 1,083 Mexican pupils between 12 and 16 years of age. A descriptive analysis and a multinomial logistic regression were carried out in order to ascertain the predictive capacity of the variables included in the model.
Results: In both countries, consumption increases with age. In comparative terms, there is a higher prevalence among Spanish pupils when consuming addictive substances. The Spanish pupils who are physically active are less likely to consume alcohol and tobacco; among their Mexican counterparts, there were no significant differences in this regard. The results show that in Spain, females consume alcoholic beverages and smoke more frequently than do males, who do so sporadically but in greater quantities. In Mexico, adolescent boys consume alcohol more regularly that do adolescent girls, although there are no differences in terms of quantity.
Conclusions: In Spain, being physically active and engaging in sports is clearly related to consuming less. Being physically active acts as a protective agent against unhealthy habits. Among Mexican adolescents, no significant relationship between these factors has been found. Both in Spain and in Mexico, siblings and parents are the family members who have the greatest influence vis-à-vis alcohol and tobacco consumption. Furthermore, the trend towards simultaneous consumption of both substances has been proved.