What prevents young adolescents from smoking? Self-reported motives of 12-15-year-old non-smokers.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the real motives of German non-smokers.


METHODS
In the German SToP ("Sources of Tobacco for Pupils") Study 707 non-smoking pupils were asked to write down their motives for being non-smokers. A total of 1324 partially very elaborate free text statements (mean/range: 1.9/1-7 distinguishable motives) were evaluated in a qualitative content analysis.


RESULTS
The most important and frequently mentioned motives for not smoking were health-related arguments (78.1%). Except for cancer significant main health risks of tobacco consumption like cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases or COPD were hardly perceived. Further important reasons were an aesthetic aversion (38.6%), missing perception of a benefit (25.2%), and economic motives (20.8%). Girls and pupils from academic high schools named aesthetic motives significantly more often than boys and pupils from secondary schools respectively. A historical comparison shows that the motive "lacking benefit" reached a higher rank in our study than in the 1990s.


CONCLUSIONS
When non-smokers are asked directly, extrinsic reasons (restrictions, smoking bans) do not seem to be relevant for them. Reasons concerning health, good physical shape, and beauty should be a central argument in the medical practise with young smokers.
Schneider
Sven
S
Mannheim Institute of Public Health, Social and Preventive Medicine, Mannheim Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Germany. sven.schneider@medma.uni-heidelberg.de
Loeber
Sabine
S
Janssen
Maria
M
Roehrig
Silke
S
Solle
Denise
D
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires