Objectives: The study identified factors associated with the initiation of smoking and assessed preventive strategies among pre-teenage children. Methods: In 1999, a survey was conducted to gather data on 236 fifth and sixth graders in a Nashville middle school. Eighty-nine percent of the students were graduates of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program. Results: The mean age of initiation of smoking was 8.5 yrs; 16.4% were Blacks and 9.3% Whites. 10.6% smoked, 86% of them continued to smoke. Black 6th graders smoked (26.9%) four times the rate of Black 5th graders, and 2.5 times that of White 6th graders. Among Blacks, 78% were initiated into smoking by their relatives while 68% of Whites were initiated by their peers. Twenty-five percent of the smokers reported the home as a main source of cigarettes. Those who attended religious services regularly had a lower rate (6.9% vs. 16.4%; P=0.01) of smoking. Smoking rates decreased with the advancing level of knowledge (p=0.00001). Among the smokers, only 4% believed smoking is a risk for stroke and zero percent believed smoking is a risk for heart disease. The DARE group had a lower rate of smoking when compared to their non-DARE counterparts. Conclusions: Once smoking was initiated, most students continued to smoke. Family smoking was the principal influence on the initiation of smoking among Blacks, while peer pressure was the main influences for Whites. Religious practice, the DARE program and knowledge base appears to be effective approaches for the prevention of the initiation of smoking.
Learning Objectives: 1. Will acquire new information about preteen smoking initiation, disparities between Blacks and Whites. 2. Will be able to identify factors influence the decision making process in smoking behaviors. 3. Will be able to recognize, prioritize and apply acquired information into prevention programs.
Keywords: Tobacco, Children and Adolescents
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.