Objectives : This study was performed using a
longitudinal approach to explore the predictors for current
smoking among male high school students.
Methods : Baseline data was collected in May 2004
through a self-administrated questionnaire completed by
607 male students in a technical high school in Daegu city,
Korea. Subsequently, their smoking behaviors were
followed one year after. Among the 544 followed
participants, data for 439 non-smokers in the first year was
used in longitudinal analysis. Current smokers were defined
as those respondents who had smoked one or more
cigarettes within the 30 days preceding the survey. Several
potential predictors for smoking were investigated including
smoking history (never, experimental, former smoker),
sociodemographic factors, environmental factors, attitudes
toward smoking, and behavioral factors. Logistic regression
was used to predict smoking with SPSS ver. 12.0.
Results : According to multiple logistic regression
analysis, those students who were more likely to smoke
after one year were former smokers (OR: 2.12, 95%
CI=1.01-4.44), current drinkers (OR: 2.55, 95% CI=1.33-
4.89), who had four or five smokers among five best friends
(OR: 3.43. 95% CI=1.14-10.30). In addition, those who had
smokers among family members besides parents or
siblings (OR: 1.66, 95% CI=0.92-2.98), exhibited a high
level of subjective stress (OR: 1.77, 95% CI=0.96-3.26), or
had a very good relationship with friends (OR: 1.93, 95%
CI=0.99-3.75) were also more likely to smoke albeit with
marginal statistical significance (p<0.1).
Conclusions : A smoking prevention program aimed at
high school students may be more effective with due
consideration of the predictors highlighted in this study.
However, further studies with larger sample size and
various target populations are necessary to find potential
predictors not found in this study but suggested in other
longitudinal studies.
Objectives : This study was performed using a
longitudinal approach to explore the predictors for current
smoking among male high school students.
Methods : Baseline data was collected in May 2004
through a self-administrated questionnaire completed by
607 male students in a technical high school in Daegu city,
Korea. Subsequently, their smoking behaviors were
followed one year after. Among the 544 followed
participants, data for 439 non-smokers in the first year was
used in longitudinal analysis. Current smokers were defined
as those respondents who had smoked one or more
cigarettes within the 30 days preceding the survey. Several
potential predictors for smoking were investigated including
smoking history (never, experimental, former smoker),
sociodemographic factors, environmental factors, attitudes
toward smoking, and behavioral factors. Logistic regression
was used to predict smoking with SPSS ver. 12.0.
Results : According to multiple logistic regression
analysis, those students who were more likely to smoke
after one year were former smokers (OR: 2.12, 95%
CI=1.01-4.44), current drinkers (OR: 2.55, 95% CI=1.33-
4.89), who had four or five smokers among five best friends
(OR: 3.43. 95% CI=1.14-10.30). In addition, those who had
smokers among family members besides parents or
siblings (OR: 1.66, 95% CI=0.92-2.98), exhibited a high
level of subjective stress (OR: 1.77, 95% CI=0.96-3.26), or
had a very good relationship with friends (OR: 1.93, 95%
CI=0.99-3.75) were also more likely to smoke albeit with
marginal statistical significance (p<0.1).
Conclusions : A smoking prevention program aimed at
high school students may be more effective with due
consideration of the predictors highlighted in this study.
However, further studies with larger sample size and
various target populations are necessary to find potential
predictors not found in this study but suggested in other
longitudinal studies.