Smoking behaviour and expectations among Auckland adolescents

To compare the relationships of age level, gender, smoking status and ethnicity with Form Two and Form Six students' beliefs about smoking and their familial smoking behaviour.

A stratified sample of 3041 Form Two and Form Six students from schools in the Auckland region was surveyed. Smoking prevalence, frequency, parental smoking and smoking inside the home were assessed using a 60-item questionnaire.

Analyses revealed several important differences across and within the Form Two and Form Six data relating to ever smoking, daily smoking and expectations of smoking in the future. Specifically, Form Six students were more likely to be ever smokers, daily smokers and have higher expectations of smoking in the future (p <0.001). Asian students reported a consistently lower propensity to smoke and hold expectations of smoking in the future compared with other ethnic groups. Students from higher-decile-rank schools were more likely to be ever smokers, daily smokers and have positive smoking expectations for the future; (p <0.001, p <0.01, p <0.001). Significant differences in familial smoking acceptability were observed across all measures.

The critical age differences were: (1) higher rates of ever smoking; (2) higher rates of daily smoking; and (3) higher levels of smoking expectations in Form Six compared with Form Two. Evidence from this study suggests that by Form Two a proportion of adolescents have already experimented with tobacco and some are daily smokers. Future research should continue to monitor the beliefs and behaviour of young adolescents and older teenagers who are at critical stages for the initiation and establishment of smoking behaviour. In addition, New Zealand's tobacco-control agenda should continue to support adult-focused programmes that reduce the acceptability and visibility of smoking.