329894
Accurate Perceptions of Peer Norms is Key to Predicting Adolescent Abstaining from Tobacco Use Across Diverse School Settings and Student Types
Previous research has shown that student norms predict personal tobacco use (TU). This study distinguishes between actual peer TU norms (the most common TU behavior among the majority in a specific grade and the most common attitude about TU) and personal perceptions of peer TU norms (one’s personal estimate of the most common TU behavior among the majority in a specific grade and one’s perception of the most common attitude about TU).
methods
Using anonymous online surveys, data were collected from 52,615 students (grades 6-12) across 66 schools in 11 regionally diverse states from 1999 to 2014. The average response rate was 81%. We calculated the extent of misperception of peer norms, and used multilevel regression models to estimate the simultaneous power of actual and perceived peer norms to predict personal TU.
results
Although 78% of students never used tobacco, students perceived that a majority of students in their grade use tobacco one to two times per month, on average. Moreover, one’s perceived frequency of peer TU was a strong predictor of personal smoking behavior even after controlling for the actual prevalence of TU and several well-known individual and school-level risk factors. Similarly, students tended to misperceive the most typical attitudes about TU and perception of the attitudinal norm was also highly predictive of personal TU. These findings were consistent when analyses were stratified by race/ethnicity, gender, grade levels, school types and time period. In addition, younger students’ perceptions of TU norms among students in older grades also strongly predicted personal TU behavior.
conclusion
These results suggest the potential importance of interventions to correct misperceptions about adolescent tobacco use norms, regardless of student and school characteristics.
Learning Areas:
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programsPublic health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Differentiate between actual and perceived peer tobacco use descriptive and injunctive norms.
Describe the importance of accurate personal perceptions of peer norms as key to predicting adolescents who abstain from tobacco use.
Keyword(s): Tobacco Use, Adolescents
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the co-investigator of multiple studies focusing on adolescent health-related behaviors and outcomes in relation to actual and perceived peer norms, which have been published in a variety of peer-reviewed journals. My scientific interest includes disentangling the importance of actual and perceived descriptive and injunctive norms in predicting personal behavior, information which may be helpful in designing prevention interventions.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.