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Sociobehavioral influences on smoking initiation of Hispanic adolescents
J E Cowdery1, E C Fitzhugh, M Q Wang
1Department of Health Studies, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa 35487-0312, USA.
Purpose:
To study the sociobehavioral influences on smoking initiation of Hispanic adolescents over a 3-year period using a national sample.
Methods:
Hispanic adolescents (N = 385), ages 15-22 years, from the 1989 and 1993 Teenage Attitudes and Practices Surveys (TAPS I and II), were selected for analyses. Data collected included measures of smoking initiation and attitudes, beliefs toward smoking of the adolescent, and smoking status of family and peers.
Results:
At the 3-year follow up, 43.4% of nonsmokers at TAPS I had initiated smoking. Risk factors associated with initiating smoking were having male and/or female friends who smoked, and positive attitudes and beliefs towards smoking. Parental and sibling smoking status had little effect on adolescent smoking status.
Conclusions:
The peer influence on Hispanic adolescent smoking is consistent with previous research on Caucasian and African-American adolescents. The formation of attitudes and beliefs toward smoking in this population warrants further examination given the influence of attitudes and beliefs on smoking initiation in this study.