Abstract
Longitudinal data from the «Berlin-Bremen Study on Health Behavior» are used to investigate smoking transitions between different stages of smoking. 1357 seventh and eighth graders were asked about their smoking behavior, their expectations with regard to smoking, smoking in their environment, and their self-image in Fall, 1983. 86% and 81% participated again one and two years later, respectively. Analyses of carbon monoxide and serum thiocyanate levels revealed adequate validity for self-reported smoking behavior. Rates of smoking were dramatically different for different educational strata. Direct and indirect functions of smoking are distinguished. The «indirect» function refers to smoking as a means of obtaining access to peer groups, thus increasing one’s psychological well-being. Direct functions refer to social and affective effects of smoking such as looking older or calming down. In line with expectations, indirect functions were found to be more important for younger adolescents and for smoking onset. In contrast, direct functions were better predictors of the smoking behavior of older adolescents and of the transition to regular smoking.
Résumé
Une étude longitudinale, la «Berlin-Bremen Study on Health Behavior» a permis d’analyser les transitions entre différents stades de l’usage du tabac. 1357 élèves de septième et huitième degrés ont été questionnés, à l’automne 1983, sur leurs attentes et habitudes relatives au tabac, les habitudes de leur environnement et leur image de soi. 86% d’entre-eux ont pu être suivis pendant un an et 81% pendant deux ans. Des analyses du monoxide de carbone et du thiocyanate sérique ont permis de conclure à une bonne validité de leurs déclarations. La fréquence d’usage du tabac s’est avérée très différente selon les types de scolarité, liés eux-mêmes à l’appartenance socio-familiale des élèves. L’usage du tabac s’est avéré par ailleurs avoir deux types de fonctions: directes et indirectes. Le fait de fumer a des «fonctions indirectes» d’intégration dans les groupes de pairs et d’accroissement du sentiment de bien- être qui en découle. Les «fonctions directes» sont d’ordre social et affectif: paraître plus âgé et se tranquilliser. L’analyse des attentes concernant le tabac a montré que les fonctions indirectes sont plus importantes pour les adolescents les plus jeunes et ceux qui commencent à fumer. A l’inverse, les fonctions directes sont plutôt celles recherchées par les fumeurs adolescents plus âgés et ceux qui commencent à fumer régulièrement.
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The data reported here are from the «Berlin-Bremen Study on Health Behavior in Childhood and Adolescence». The study was financed by the Federal Ministry of Health, Youth, Family and Womens Affairs, Bonn, the State Government of Bremen, and the Federal Health Office, Berlin.
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Semmer, N.K., Dwyer, J.H., Lippert, P. et al. Adolescent smoking from a functional perspective: The Berlin-Bremen Study. Eur J Psychol Educ 2, 387–401 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03172623
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03172623