“Kicking the Initiation”: Do Adolescent Ex-smokers Differ from Other Groups within the Initiation Continuum?

doi:10.1006/pmed.2001.0904

Preventive Medicine

Volume 33, Issue 5, November 2001, Pages 392-401

https://doi.org/10.1006/pmed.2001.0904 Get rights and content

Abstract

Background. Current research on the continuum of smoking initiation has largely focused on phases of progressing frequency of smoking. To gain more insight into reasons some adolescents do, and others do not, proceed to advanced levels of smoking behavior, a continuum in which two categories of ex-smoking are proposed is examined.

Methods. Standardized scores on psychosocial predictors of smoking among adolescent nonsmoking deciders and quitters were compared cross-sectionally with those of the categories of never smokers, triers, experimenters, and regular smokers (n = 23,317).

Results. Never smokers, triers, experimenters, and regular smokers had significantly different characteristics with regard to psychosocial predictors of smoking (P < 0.01), with scores of never smokers indicating that they were least at risk of smoking in the future and those of regular smokers indicating that they were most at risk. Scores of nonsmoking deciders showed that they were less at risk than triers and experimenters and more at risk than never smokers. Quitters seemed to have less risky psychosocial characteristics than experimenters and more risky characteristics than nonsmoking deciders.

Conclusions. Studying transitions of smoking behavior based on six possible phases (i.e., never smoking, nonsmoking deciding, trying, experimenting, regular smoking, and quitting) might lead to more valid insights into predictors of adolescent smoking behavior.

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Citation Excerpt :
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^☆: This study was financed with the assistance of the European Community Fund for Tobacco Research and Information (Regulation No. (EC) 2427/93).

¹: To whom reprint requests should be addressed. Fax: +31433610755. E-mail: [email protected].

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Regular Article“Kicking the Initiation”: Do Adolescent Ex-smokers Differ from Other Groups within the Initiation Continuum?☆

Abstract

Addict Behav

Addict Behav

Am J Prev Med

Addict Behav

Drug Alcohol Depend

Addict Behav

Addict Behav

Prev Med

Am J Prev Med

The smoking problem: a review of the research and theory in behavioral risk modification

Psychol Bull

Cigarette smoking: why young people do it and ways of preventing it

Youth tobacco use: risks, patterns, and control

Stages in the development of adolescent smoking

Drug Alcohol Depend

Psychosocial predictors of different stages of cigarette smoking among high school students

Prev Med

Preventing tobacco use among young people: a report of the Surgeon General

MMWR

Tobacco-use cessation in the '90s—not “adults only” anymore

Prev Med

Stages and processes of self-change of smoking: toward an integrative model of change

J Consult Clin Psychol

Regular Article
“Kicking the Initiation”: Do Adolescent Ex-smokers Differ from Other Groups within the Initiation Continuum?☆