Smokeless tobacco and cigarettes: differential attitudes and behavioral intentions of young adolescents toward a hypothetical new peer.
Examined adolescents' perceptions of cigarette smokers and smokeless tobacco users. Participants were 562 middle school students in rural Florida who viewed 1 of 6 videotapes of a hypothetical peer (i.e., actor) who would soon be attending their school. The videotapes differed only as a function of sex (boy or girl) and tobacco condition (no tobacco, cigarette, smokeless tobacco). After viewing the videotape, participants completed 2 measures designed to assess attitudes and behavioral intentions toward the peer. Results indicated that (a) the actor in the no-tobacco condition was rated more favorably than actors in the other two conditions, although the actor in the smokeless-tobacco condition was rated more favorably than the actor in the cigarette condition; (b) girls viewed the actor in smokeless-tobacco condition more favorably than did boys; (c) compared to nonsmokers, adolescents with a cigarette use history provided more favorable ratings for the actor in the cigarette condition. Taken together, results suggest that different types of tobacco use may have a different impact on social image within the young adolescent population.
Kury
S P
SP
University of Florida Health Science Center, USA.
Rodrigue
J R
JR
Perri
M G
MG
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000329:Advertising; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D012424:Rural Population; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless