Sociobehavioral influences on smoking initiation of Hispanic adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
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.
Cowdery
J E
JE
Department of Health Studies, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa 35487-0312, USA.
Fitzhugh
E C
EC
Wang
M Q
MQ
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States