Objective: To provide a 1-year prospective examination of social, behavioral, intrapersonal and demographic factors that predict transition from experimental to regular cigarette use among continuation high school students.
Methods: A cohort of 252 students completed baseline and 1-year follow-up questionnaires on health behaviors.
Results: Relatively low smoking prevalence estimates, intention to smoke in the next year, violence perpetration, perceived stress, sensation seeking, and male gender predicted the transition to regular use 1 year later.
Conclusion: Intrapersonal variables may be relatively important in predicting the progression from experimental to regular smoking.