Association between elementary school personality and high school smoking and drinking
Sarah J Peterson1, Gregory T Smith1
1Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
Addiction (Abingdon, England)
|June 11, 2017
Summary
Childhood personality traits like urgency, sensation-seeking, and low conscientiousness predict adolescent alcohol and cigarette use. These impulsivity-related traits are reliable predictors regardless of gender or race.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Adolescent alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking are linked to significant health risks.
- Understanding early predictors of these behaviors is crucial for prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if elementary school personality traits predict later addictive behaviors in US high school students.
- To determine if these predictions vary across gender and race.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study followed 1897 students from 23 Kentucky public schools.
- Impulsivity-related traits were assessed in 5th grade using the UPPS-P Child Version.
- Drinking and smoking frequency were measured in 9th grade, controlling for covariates like pubertal status and affect.
Main Results:
- Three specific personality traits—urgency, sensation-seeking, and low conscientiousness—significantly predicted both drinking and smoking in high school.
- These traits predicted substance use independently of other risk factors and prior substance use.
- The predictive power of these traits was consistent across genders and racial groups.
Conclusions:
- Childhood personality dispositions toward impulsivity are significant predictors of adolescent substance use.
- Urgency, sensation-seeking, and low conscientiousness in early adolescence forecast later drinking and smoking.
- These personality-based predictions are robust and do not differ by gender or race.
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