ASSOCIATION OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS SMOKING - ACROSS-LAGGED ANALYSIS

This study examined the association of depressive symptoms of adolesce nts and their smoking behavior. A national cohort sample of school ado lescents (N=5,855) who participated in the 1989 and 1993 Teenage Altit udes and Practices Survey was obtained. The information from this surv ey included measures of smoking behavior and a series of factors relat ed to depressive symptoms during a 3-yr. span. A cross-lagged analysis with Kendall tall b correlations was used. Judging from the magnitude of the cross-lagged correlations, the direction of causation cannot b e ascertain ed. Rather, a reciprocal relationship between depression a nd smoking may be suggested.