Objective: To provide a 1-year prospective examination of social, behaviora
l, intrapersonal and demographic factors that predict transition from exper
imental to regular cigarette use among continuation high school students.
Methods: A cohort of 252 students completed baseline and 1-year followup qu
estionnaires on health behaviors.
Results: Relatively low smoking prevalence estimates, intention to smoke in
the next year, violence perpetration, perceived stress, sensation seeking,
and male gender predicted the transition to regular use 1 year later.
Conclusion: Intrapersonal variables may be relatively important in predicti
ng the progression from experimental to regular smoking.