Tobacco use among young people is a major health concern. Tobacco use is recognized as the most significant cause of preventable mortality and morbidity in the United States. Moreover, most adult cigarette smokers initiate smoking during adolescence. Estimates suggest that approximately 90% of adult smokers began using tobacco before their 18th birthday. Recently, some public health professionals have advocated a research and policy approach emphasizing youth developmental assets, such as parent-adolescent communication, decision-making skills, and other factors believed to insulate youth, including at risk youth, from engaging in harmful behaviors. The HEART of OKC project, one of 13 funded by the CDC as part of a national teen pregnancy prevention initiative, is one preventative program attempting to lower youth risk behaviors through strengthening youth assets. Data from parents and teens (N=1,350 matched pairs) residing in the inner-cities of two mid-sized Mid-western metropolitan areas are analyzed to examine the influence of ten youth asset constructs on adolescent tobacco use. Preliminary logistic regression models for each asset construct suggest that, while controlling for age, sex, and race, 9 of 10 youth assets (e.g. constructive use of time, religious time, service to others, employment skills) were individually significantly related (p<.05) to adolescent tobacco use. The odds ratios indicate that adolescents who possess higher levels of assets were significantly less likely than youth with lower levels of assets to report tobacco use within the past 30 days. These results suggest that strengthening adolescent assets may be an effective strategy for reducing adolescent tobacco use.
Learning Objectives: After the session, participants will be able to: 1. Discuss the asset constructs. 2. Understand the relationships between youth assets and youth tobacco use.
Keywords: Adolescent Health, Tobacco
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.