Social environmental influences on adolescents' smoking progression.
OBJECTIVE
To determine social environmental factors in relation to adolescent smoking using both longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses.


METHODS
A national sample of nonsmoking adolescents (N=4,431) who participated in the 1989 Teenage Attitudes and Practices Survey and who were re-interviewed in 1993 was used for this study.


RESULTS
The smoking behavior of best friends and smoking beliefs were consistent and significant factors in predicting adolescents' smoking progression from nonsmoking status to regular smokers or experimental smokers.


CONCLUSIONS
By addressing several limitations of previous studies, this paper contributes additional information regarding the adolescents' smoking acquisition process.
Wang
M Q
MQ
Department of Health Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA. MWANG@CHES.UA.EDU
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012931:Social Environment; D012932:Social Facilitation