Social, attitudinal, and demographic correlates of adolescent vs college-age tobacco use initiation.
OBJECTIVE
To examine associations between social influences and smoking-related attitudes and age of cigarette use initiation among college students.


METHODS
Responses from 3 campus surveys (2 random, 1 convenience) were analyzed. The surveys were modeled from existing state or national tobacco surveys and other psychometrically valid surveys.


RESULTS
Social and attitudinal variables were associated with college-age initiation or college-age increases in smoking.


CONCLUSIONS
This research has implications for tobacco control efforts aimed at reducing or preventing tobacco use on college campuses, such as restricting availability of tobacco products on campus and preventing smoking in all campus buildings including residence halls.
Stockdale
Margaret S
MS
Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL 62901-6502, USA. pstock@siu.edu
Dawson-Owens
Hayley L
HL
Sagrestano
Lynda M
LM
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003625:Data Collection; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities