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Low schoolwork engagement and schoolwork difficulties predict smoking in adolescence?
Jaana L Minkkinen1, Jaana M Kinnunen1, Sakari Karvonen2
1Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.
European Journal of Public Health
|September 7, 2018
Summary
Adolescent schoolwork disengagement and difficulties predict smoking initiation, primarily through poor academic achievement. These factors represent potential pathways to lifelong health inequalities, highlighting the need for early intervention.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent health
- Educational psychology
- Public health
Background:
- Low academic achievement is linked to smoking, but the underlying factors remain unclear.
- Potential mediators include schoolwork disengagement and difficulties, which may explain health inequalities.
- This study investigates the role of these factors in the association between academic performance and adolescent smoking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine whether schoolwork disengagement and difficulties independently predict adolescent smoking.
- To determine if the effects of disengagement and difficulties on smoking are mediated by academic achievement.
- To understand the pathways through which health inequalities in smoking may emerge from early school experiences.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 9,497 seventh-graders (12–13 years) in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland.
- Data collected in 2011 and 2014, with 6,534 participants reporting ninth-grade (15–16 years) smoking status.
- Self-reported data on smoking, schoolwork engagement/disengagement, difficulties, and cognitive competence; academic achievement from national registers; mediation analysis used.
Main Results:
- Higher schoolwork engagement and cognitive competence in seventh grade predicted lower smoking rates in ninth grade (P<0.001).
- Increased schoolwork disengagement and difficulties predicted higher rates of adolescent smoking (P<0.001).
- Mediation analysis confirmed that academic achievement played a significant role in these associations.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent behavioral disengagement from schoolwork and schoolwork difficulties are significant risk factors for smoking initiation.
- The impact of these school-related factors on smoking is mediated through poor academic achievement.
- Schoolwork disengagement and difficulties in adolescence represent critical pathways contributing to adult smoking and subsequent health inequalities.
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