title: Social Smoking and Mental Health Among Chinese Male College Students.
abstract: China has a high prevalence of smoking, but the characteristics of social smoking in Chinese college students have not been investigated. We examined the pattern of social smoking and explored the association between social smoking and personal cessation efforts and mental health factors among Chinese male college students.
  
  
  
  Study design was a cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  
  P. R. China was the setting of the study.
  
  
  
  Participants were a random sample of 1327 male college students.
  
  
  
  All participants completed a self-administered questionnaire that examined their smoking behaviors and a group of specific mental health factors (loneliness, self-harm, suicide, depression, and anxiety).
  
  
  
  Analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, χ2analysis, and multivariate logistic regression.
  
  
  
  Of a total of 207 current smokers, 102 (49.3%) were identified as social smokers. Compared with nonsmokers, social smokers had increased risks for depression (odds ratio, 1.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-2.65). Among daily smokers, social smokers were less likely to have an intention to quit smoking than nonsocial smokers (odds ratio, .08; 95% confidence interval, .01-.57).
  
  
  
  This study reveals unique psychologic characteristics related to social smoking. College students are a particular group of interest because unhealthy behaviors initiated during adolescence may continue through adulthood. Our findings provide evidence for future tobacco control intervention among this population.
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Long-Biao
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Fang-Rong
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: 2 College of Health and Nursing, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Qing-Zhou
authors.initials: QZ
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yong-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Shang-Zhi
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: 3 Office of Public Health Studies, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii.
authors.forename: Kayne
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Qi-Qiang
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Health focus: smoking control; Outcome measure: behavioral; Research purpose: descriptive; Setting: school; Social Smoking, Students, Mental Health, Prevention Research. Manuscript format: research; Strategy: education; Study design: survey research; Target population age: youth; Target population circumstances: college education levels, China location, and Chinese population