Transition through stages of smoking: the effect of gender and self-concept on adolescent smoking behavior.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether self-concept, gender, and age are significant factors in an adolescent's transition through stages of smoking to regular smoking.


METHODS
A questionnaire composed of 29 items (nine questions pertaining to smoking behavior and 20 to four self-concept variables: physical, family, social, and peer self-concept) was administered to 368 randomly selected high school adolescents (188 males and 180 females) aged 12-17 years during regular contact (roll call) time.


RESULTS
Overall, 40.5% of the sample had tried tobacco (excluding chewing tobacco) (42.8% of females and 38.3% of males). Although prevalence of smoking varied according to the stage of smoking, it increased with age. With reference to self-concept, Scheffe post hoc contrasts revealed a statistically significant difference between physical self-concept and the remaining measures of self-concept (peer, family, and social) and at each stage of smoking. The effect for male students was less than for females.


CONCLUSIONS
Programs aimed at prevention and intervention should incorporate strategies which are commensurate with female lifestyles and the more positive aspects that individuals might experience on quitting.
Thornton
W
W
Graduate School of Education, University of Western Australia, Perth, Nedlands, Australia.
Douglas
G A
GA
Houghton
S J
SJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology