The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #64634

Ilene S. Speizer, PhD¹, Brian Smith, PhD², Diane Baer Wilson, EdD¹, Viswanathan Ramakrishnan, PhD³, and Elizabeth Fries, PhD². (1) Preventive Medicine and Community Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980212, Richmond, VA 23298, 804-339-0354, isspeizer@vcu.edu, (2) Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 808 W. Franklin St., P.O. Box 842018, Richmond, VA 23284-2018, (3) Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980032, Richmond, VA 23298u

An examination of the literature on youth smoking initiation and use resulted in the development of a comprehensive model of risk and protective factors associated with smoking. Four categories of factors were found: socio-demographic, environmental, individual, and behavioral. Using baseline data collected from one county that participated in the Youth Tobacco Evaluation Project, this paper explores how multiple levels of influence are jointly associated with smoking. In this county, all youth in grades 6-9 (N=2772) were surveyed prior to participating in the county-wide tobacco prevention program. Among the representative sample of 6th graders from this county, 85% have never smoked, not even a puff. By 7th grade, 70% have never smoked, 22% have ever smoked but not in the last thirty days, and 7% are current smokers. These percentages are 58%, 29%, and 13%, respectively among 9th graders. Key factor found in multivariate models to be associated with ever smoking include access to cigarettes, sibling use, peer use, and having seen cigarette advertisements. Key protective factors include higher smoking resistance skills, better performance in school, and subjective peer norms. Factors associated with being a current smoker compared to being an ever smoker but not a current smoker include: peer use, lower education level of the mother, not having seen any anti-tobacco advertisements, and having fewer refusal skills. This study of key risk and protective factors for smoking provides important information for designing appropriate programs for youth tobacco prevention and thus reducing overall youth tobacco use.

Learning Objectives:

Participants to this session will be able to:
• List the main categories of risk and protective factors for youth smoking,
• Recognize the inter-relationships between the key factors associated with youth smoking, and
• Prioritize program activities toward encouraging protective factors and/or discouraging risk factors.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.