Gender differences in depression and smoking among youth in Cape Town, South Africa.
OBJECTIVE
Gender differences in the association between depression and smoking has received inconsistent support among youth in national samples in the United States and other countries. However, the examination of depression and smoking among South African male and female youth has not been sufficiently studied. This paper examines gender differences in the association between depression, racially classified social group (RCSG) status, social amenities, and grade level with smoking among South African youth in Cape Town.


METHODS
Six-hundred twenty students completed a questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics, smoking, and depression. Separate logistic regression procedures were conducted by gender to assess significant variations in correlates of ever smoker versus never smoker status and current smoker versus nonsmoker status. Variables included in the models were Beck Depression Inventory scores, RCSG, social amenities, and grade level.


RESULTS
Primary analyses revealed that among girls, mild and severe depression were significant predictors of ever smoking status. In addition, girls who suffered from mild, moderate, and severe forms of depression were more likely to be current smokers than nonsmokers. Among boys, depression was not a significant predictor of smoking status.


CONCLUSIONS
The results support the need to incorporate mental health education strategies into smoking intervention programs, especially among school girls in Cape Town, South Africa.
Fernander
Anita F
AF
Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0086, USA. afern2@uky.edu
Flisher
Alan J
AJ
King
Gary
G
Noubary
Farzad
F
Lombard
Carl
C
Price
Mystique
M
Chalton
Derek
D
D000293:Adolescent; D044383:Black People; D003625:Data Collection; D003710:Demography; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People