title: Skills-building methods to prevent smoking by adolescents.
abstract: This study evaluated cigarette smoking prevention methods with a sample of adolescent females and males. Arranged by school, 331 informed and consenting sixth graders were randomly divided into four groups: 1) pretest, skills-building methods, posttest; 2) pretest, discussion methods, posttest; 3) pretest and posttest; and 4) posttest only. All subjects were followed for 6 and 15 months after the posttest. Outcome results on measures of non-smoking intentions, attitudes, predictions, problem-solving abilities, and peer interactions favored subjects in the skills-building group when compared with subjects in the discussion and pretest-posttest control groups. Smoking rates at posttest and at both follow-ups were lower in the skills-building group than in the other three groups. Results from posttest-only subjects did not support pretest reactivity. The study's strengths and limits are discussed along with directions for future smoking prevention research.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013997:Time Factors