Perceived invulnerability and cigarette smoking among adolescents

Adolescent perceptions of invulnerability toward smoking and nonsmoking-rel ated health risks were examined among 432 continuation high school students . Smokers were less likely than nonsmokers to report feeling invulnerable t o both smoking and nonsmoking-related health risks. Among the smokers, thos e who reported feeling invulnerable to smoking related health risks, compar ed to those who reported feeling vulnerable, smoked fewer cigarettes, were less addicted, were less likely to intend to smoke more in the: future, att empted to quit fewer times in the past. valued their health more, and repor ted higher public body awareness. In a multiple logistic regression model, only high public body awareness, fewer previous attempts to quit, and being in the action stage of change (compared to being in the precontemplation s tage of change) remained significant independent concurrent predictors of b eing in the invulnerable group. These results suggest, contrary to some pre vious work, that perceived invulnerability may be predictive of quitting to bacco use and may reflect relative invulnerability; that is, lighter use of tobacco. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd.