PSYCHOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF ADOLESCENT SMOKING-BEHAVIOR - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

Both the prevalence of adolescent smoking and the future health conseq uences of the behaviour are well known. Studies bearing on the psychol ogical reasons why adolescents smoke have, however, relied largely on cross-sectional collections of data, and knowledge in the area has acc ordingly been restricted, by and large, to reports of psychological co rrelates of the behaviour. This study investigated psychological reaso ns associated with the onset of adolescent smoking behaviour in a larg e cohort of initial nonsmokers (1,945 males and 1,716 females) aged 13 to 17 years, examined in detail at intake and then followed up over o ne year. Data were collected by self-completed questionnaire given und er supervision in school time. Predictors of adolescent smoking onset were similar for boys and girls, and for all age groups, and centred o n both expectations of future smoking and the social climate within wh ich smoking onset takes place. Briefly, adolescents are more likely to smoke if they expect to do so, function within a social climate which allows smoking, and report exemplar pressure to smoke. These prospect ive associates of smoking onset in adolescents point to the possibilit y of more closely focused programs for the prevention of adolescent sm oking behaviour.