The relationship between body weight concerns and adolescent smoking.
Although a number of factors have been found to predict smoking status among adolescents, few researchers have examined how belief in smoking as a weight-control strategy may be related to smoking in this high-risk population. With the goal of discovering whether belief in smoking as a weight-control strategy predicted smoking status, the present investigation surveyed 659 Black and White high school students. Analyses showed that among regular smokers, 39% of White female and 12% of White male smokers reported using smoking to control their appetite and weight. In contrast, not a single Black male or female reported using smoking to control appetite and weight. Although belief in smoking as a weight-control strategy did not predict regular smokers versus never smokers, the weight-belief item reliably separated experimental smokers from regular smokers. The survey also revealed that White female restrained eaters were the most likely to actually use smoking as a weight-control strategy.
Camp
D E
DE
Department of Psychology, Memphis State University, Tennessee 38152.
Klesges
R C
RC
Relyea
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D001828:Body Image; D001835:Body Weight; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D015431:Weight Loss