Purpose: To examine the relationship of stress and coping methods to smokin
g status (never-smoker, experimenter, and current smoker) among an inner-ci
ty, clinic-based, adolescent population, as well as to examine the prevalen
ce of smoking and related behaviors in this population using a cross-sectio
nal survey.
Methods: A self-administered questionnaire that included the Perceived Stre
ss Scale (PSS), negative life events (LES), and a coping measures scale was
used with 954 clinic patients aged 12-21 years. Demographic characteristic
s were compared using analysis of variance and Chi-square test. The Kruskal
-Wallis analysis of variance was used to compare the values of each scale a
mong smoking-status groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to determ
ine the relationship of smoking status to PSS, LES, and coping methods.
Results: The overall prevalence of smoking in this population was 26%. The
age of onset was 13.3 years for current smokers vs. 15.5 for experimenters
(p < .01). Perceived stress and negative life events, adjusting for demogra
phic variables, were highest among current smokers, less so in experimenter
s, and lowest in the never-smokers (p < .001). Stepwise logistic regression
analysis showed that negative life events, perceived stress, greater use o
f the negative coping methods of anger and helplessness, and less use of th
e positive coping methods of parental support and cognitive coping were sig
nificantly and independently related to smoking status.
Conclusions: One in four inner-city youth report smoking. Higher levels of
stress and greater use of negative coping methods were found in current smo
kers than in experimenters and never-smokers. (C) Society for Adolescent Me
dicine, 2000.