A longitudinal study of reasons for smoking in adolescence |
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Authors: | ROB McGEE WARREN R. STANTON |
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Affiliation: | Social and Behavioural Research in Cancer, Hugh Adam Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Medical School, University of Otago, PO Box 913, Dunedin, New Zealand &;Cancer Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Medical School, The University of Queensland, Herston Road, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia. |
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Abstract: | 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. |
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