A longitudinal study of reasons for smoking in adolescence

This longitudinal study examined factors related to smoking at age 13 and to persistence of smoking from ages 13 to 15 years in a sample (n =719) of New Zealand adolescents. History of smoking at 9 and 11 years predicted smoking at 13 (odds ratio = 2.8), persistence of smoking from age 13 to 15 (OR = 2.4) and smoking at 15 among those not smoking at age 13 (OR = 2.4). While there were no significant sex differences in pre-adolescent and early adolescent smoking, by age 15 more girls than boys reported smoking. A concern with the immediate negative effects of smoking (taste, smell, feeling ill and feeling silly) as a reason for not smoking at age 13 was inversely related to smoking at age 15 (OR = 0.4). Reasons for smoking at age 13 were not associated with later smoking. Family disadvantage and use of alcohol and other drugs were also associated with later adolescent smoking.