title: Differential contribution of parents and friends to smoking trajectories during adolescence.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the relative contribution of friends' and parents' smoking on the age of smoking initiation. A sample of 812 preadolescents, who were part of an accelerated longitudinal design, participated in the study over a 4-year period. Three smoking trajectory groups were first established: an age 11-12 starters group (5.7% of the sample), an age 12-13 starters group (11.1% of the sample), and an age 13-14 starters group (7.9% of the sample). A fourth trajectory group included the children who had not started smoking by age 15 years and who represented the majority of the participants (75.4%). After controlling for parental education, gender, and participants' behavioral and academic maladjustment, a series of logistic regressions revealed that parents' smoking assessed during the same year predicted membership in the age 11-12 starters trajectory group. Both parents' and friends' smoking predicted membership in the age 12-13 starters group. Finally, only friends' smoking predicted membership in the age 13-14 starters group. The results are discussed in light of the controversy about the contribution of parents' and friends' smoking behavior to smoking initiation in adolescents.
authors.affiliation: University of Montreal, 3050 Edouard-Montpetit, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3T IJ7. vitaro@GRIP.UMontreal.CA
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vitaro
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wanner
authors.forename: Mara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brendgen
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gosselin
authors.forename: Paul L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Gendreau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D017668:Age of Onset; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010379:Peer Group; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*