Source
Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To provide a 1-year prospective examination of social, behavioral, intrapersonal and demographic factors that predict transition from experimental to regular cigarette use among continuation high school students.
METHODS:
A cohort of 252 students completed baseline and 1-year follow-up questionnaires on health behaviors.
RESULTS:
Relatively low smoking prevalence estimates, intention to smoke in the next year, violence perpetration, perceived stress, sensation seeking, and male gender predicted the transition to regular use 1 year later.
CONCLUSION:
Intrapersonal variables may be relatively important in predicting the progression from experimental to regular smoking.