title: Self-efficacy mediates the effect of depression on smoking susceptibility in adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research indicates that negative affect and/or depression is associated with increased prevalence for smoking and higher levels of nicotine dependence in adults and adolescents. A previous study with adult smokers attempting to quit indicated that low levels of self-efficacy partially mediated depression's adverse effect on posttreatment cessation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current study attempted to test self-efficacy as a potential mediator between depressive symptoms and smoking susceptibility in adolescents. One thousand and ninety-three nonsmoking high-school students who were part of a large clinical trial evaluating an interactive CD-ROM-based smoking prevention/cessation curriculum (project ASPIRE) were included in this analysis. These students completed an extensive battery before treatment and 18 months after treatment, which included measures of depression, self-efficacy, smoking status, and smoking susceptibility.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicated that self-efficacy partially mediated the positive relationship between baseline depressive symptoms and susceptibility to smoke at 18 months, accounting for approximately 27% of the variance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Perhaps future interventions to prevent smoking in adolescents can target self-efficacy potentially resulting in more effective outcomes, particularly in adolescents with current depressive symptoms or who may be at risk for future depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Science, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Houston, TX 77230-1439, USA. jminnix@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Minnix
authors.forename: Janice A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Blalock
authors.forename: Salma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marani
authors.forename: Alexander V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Prokhorov
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Cinciripini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D016251:CD-ROM; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003710:Demography; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology