Uso ceremonial del tabaco en Los Andes: implicaciones para la prevención del tabaquismo en jóvenes indígenas

the purpose of the study was to identify andean youth's beliefs regarding ceremonial tobacco use and to discuss potential applications of findings in tobacco control interventions. the study was conducted in the province of jujuy, argentina among 202 boys and girls, 10 to 20 years of age, living in rural and urban areas. the elusive world of beliefs and meanings became accessible by asking youth to focus on tangible experiences regarding a ritual honoring mother earth. concepts like reciprocity, the unity of material and spiritual realms, and the complementary nature of opposite forces were linked to beliefs about ceremonial tobacco use. three domains for understanding smoking behavior beliefs and norms were identified including mechanisms of production, conceptual tenants and behavioral expressions. these findings suggest that tobacco control interventions based on solidarity, reciprocity, and non-rational ways of learning are more culturally appropriate for native populations in the andes compared with individual behavior change models, and have potential application to other indigenous populations. the research methodology used also has the potential for generalized application in cross-cultural studies of health behaviors in understudied populations in middle and low-income countries