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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Jie W. Weiss, PhD, Department of Health Science, California State University, Fullerton, 800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92834, 714-278-4388, jweiss@fullerton.edu, Vincent Merrill, PhD, Department of Health Science, California State University Fullerton, 800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92834-6870, and Kat Soltanmorad, RD, Nutrition Services, Orange Unified School District, 726 West Collins Avenue, Orange, CA 92867.

This study examined differences in associations between weight concern and smoking initiation among culturally diverse adolescents. Statistical analyses were conducted on responses from 3515 students in the 8th and 9th grades from three school districts in Los Angeles County. The restrained eating scale adapted from the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire was used to measure students' weight concerns. Our results indicated that weight concerns were significantly associated with increased risk for smoking. Those who scored higher on weight concerns were approximately 40% more likely to report having tried smoking and smoked in past-30-days. Compared to White students who reported weight concerns, Asian-American and African-American students were significantly less likely to report having tried smoking whereas Hispanic students were more likely to report having tried smoking. Health educators may want to design smoking prevention programs which advocate for an alternative way of weight reduction rather than using smoking as a means of weight control.

Learning Objectives:

• Audience attending this presentation will learn variations in adolescents' weight concerns across different ethnic groups, as well as the association between weight concerns and smoking behaviors among culturally diverse adolescents. Suggestions will be made for designing smoking prevention programs which advocate for an alternative way of weight reduction rather than using smoking as a means of weight control.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Tobacco Control

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered