Socioeconomic correlates of smoking among an ethnically diverse sample of 8th grade adolescents in Southern California.
OBJECTIVE
Socioeconomic status (SES) has been associated with smoking among adolescents, but it is not known which attributes of SES are responsible for the added risk, or whether these associations are consistent in ethnically diverse samples.


METHODS
This study investigated the associations between SES variables and smoking behavior among an ethnically diverse sample of 1847 8th grade adolescents in Southern California in 2002. Several aspects of SES were examined: an objective composite measure of family and neighborhood SES, the adolescent's spending money, and the adolescent's perception of SES (family's ability to afford basic necessities, wealth relative to others, and wealth relative to last year).


RESULTS
After controlling for demographic characteristics, smoking behavior of parents and friends, and parental monitoring, low scores on the objective SES index and large amounts of pocket money were associated with an increased risk of smoking. The subjective measures of perceived SES were not associated with smoking.


CONCLUSIONS
Results indicate that increased smoking prevention efforts are needed in low-SES areas, and that limiting adolescents' pocket money may be an effective strategy for preventing smoking.
Unger
Jennifer B
JB
Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Alhambra 91803, USA. unger@usc.edu
Sun
Ping
P
Johnson
C Anderson
CA
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D015141:Los Angeles / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012907:Smoking / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors