Beliefs about the risks of smoking mediate the relationship between exposure to smoking and smoking.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVE:
Peer and family smoking are key predictors of adolescent smoking. Yet, it is unclear whether the effect of these variables is direct or indirect through the effects of mediating mechanisms. One possible mechanism is smoking risk beliefs. We hypothesized an indirect effect such that exposure to peer and family smoking may affect adolescents' smoking through two sets of risk beliefs; beliefs about the personal harm of smoking, and beliefs about the general immediate harm of smoking, and these beliefs may in turn affect smoking.

METHODS:
Our sample was 963 participants taking part in a longitudinal study of the biobehavioral determinants of smoking. We measured exposure to peer and household smoking in grade 10, smoking risk beliefs in grade 11, and modeled the effects of these variables prospectively on smoking one year post high school graduation in a Structural Equation Model (SEM).

RESULTS:
Beliefs about the personal harm and general immediate harm of smoking had significant and negative direct effects on smoking one year post high school. However, controlling for 10th grade smoking, only personal harm beliefs mediated the relationship between household smoking exposure and smoking behavior. Specifically, personal harm beliefs mediated the effect of having a household member who smokes on smoking one year post high school graduation.

CONCLUSIONS:
The findings are consistent with the hypothesized mediation model and suggest that exposure to household smoking may affect adolescent smoking through its effects on beliefs about the personal harm of smoking, beyond the effects of previous smoking.

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Author information

Author/s: Rodriguez, Daniel (D); Romer, Daniel (D); Audrain-McGovern, Janet (J);

Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 4100, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. drodrig2(-atsign-)mail.med.upenn.edu

Grants: P50 CA/DA 84718 (Agency:NCI NIH HHS) ; R01 CA096836 (Agency:NCI NIH HHS) ; R01 CA109850 (Agency:NCI NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: Psychosomatic medicine (Psychosom Med), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Jan; vol 69 (issue 1) : pp 106-13

Dates: Created 2007/01/24; Completed 2007/02/22; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 17244853, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior
Adult
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans

Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Models, Psychological
Risk Factors
Smoking - adverse effects; psychology

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