What explains between-school differences in rates of smoking?
Marion Henderson1, Russell Ecob, Daniel Wight
1MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Glasgow, UK. marion@msoc.mrc.gla.ac.uk
BMC Public Health
|June 24, 2008
Summary
School social environment, particularly teacher-pupil relationships and school inclusiveness, significantly impacts adolescent smoking rates. Positive school characteristics can reduce smoking prevalence in both boys and girls.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent health
- Public health
- Educational psychology
Background:
- Schools influence pupil behavior through social organization and culture.
- Non-formal school characteristics, including social relationships, are examined for their impact on smoking rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if school characteristics explain variations in pupil smoking rates.
- To investigate the role of social relationships and school culture in adolescent smoking.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal survey of 5,092 pupils in 24 Scottish schools.
- Linked pupil data (smoking, attitudes, relationships) with school-level data (deprivation, attendance).
- Utilized multi-level modeling to analyze school effects on smoking.
Main Results:
- Significant school-level effects on smoking rates for both males and females were observed.
- For girls, teacher-pupil relationships and attitude to school explained smoking rates.
- For boys, the interaction of poor teacher-pupil relationships and school affluence significantly reduced smoking, alongside school caring and inclusiveness.
Conclusions:
- School social environment, especially teacher-pupil relationships and school ethos, influences adolescent smoking.
- Health-promoting school strategies focusing on social aspects are supported for smoking prevention.
- School characteristics demonstrate a significant impact on smoking behavior up to age 15/16.
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