Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Differences in adolescent smoker and nonsmoker perceptions of strategies that would help an adolescent quit smoking

  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

This study assessed adolescent smoker and nonsmoker perceptions of strategies that would help an adolescent smoker in his or her attempt to stop smoking. Surveys were distributed primarily in the schools at 4 geographic and ethnically diverse study sites. Respondents were 965 adolescents (49% female; 46% minority). Current smokers (n = 232) were asked to rate the extent to which they agreed or disagreed that supportive behaviors of friends and family, quitting strategies, or learning about quitting strategies would be helpful if they decided to quit. Nonsmokers (n = 733) were asked to indicate the degree to which they agreed or disagreed that these behaviors and strategies would be helpful if a friend decided to quit. Responses to each of the 33 attitude items were rated on a 5-point scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Marked differences were observed between smokers and nonsmokers in the level of agreement on each item. In general, smokers reported far less enthusiasm for cessation strategies than nonsmokers. After adjusting for gender, age, and other covariates, smoking status was the strongest independent predictor of the number of items endorsed as agree or strongly agree. The results have implications for the design of peer-based and other interventions for adolescent smokers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Tobacco use among high school students—United States, 1997.Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 1998,47:229–233.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Youth tobacco surveillance—United States, 2000.Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2001,50:1–84.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Henningfield J, Michaelides T, Sussman S: Developing treatment for tobacco addicted youth—Issues and challenges.Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse. 2000,9:5–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Sussman S, Lichtman K, Ritt A, Pallonen U: Effects of thirty-four adolescent tobacco use and prevention trials on regular users of tobacco products.Substance Use and Misuse. 1999,34:1469–1503.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Piasecki TM, Baker TB: Any further progress in smoking cessation treatment?Nicotine and Tobacco Research. 2001,3:311–323.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Burt RD, Peterson AV: Smoking cessation among high school seniors.Preventive Medicine. 1998,27:319–327.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Moss AJ, Allen KF, Giovino GA, Mills SL: Recent trends in adolescent smoking, smoking-uptake correlates, and expectations about the future.Advance Data From Vital and Health Statistics. 1992,221:1–28.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Peterson AV, Kealey KA, Mann SL, Marcek PM, Sarason IG: Hutchinson Smoking Prevention Project: Long term randomized trial in school-based tobacco use prevention: Results on smoking.Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2000,93:1979–1991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Albrecht S, Stone CA, Payne L, Reynolds MD: A preliminary study of the use of peer support in smoking cessation programs for pregnant adolescents.Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. 1998,10:119–125.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Prince F: The relative effectiveness of a peer-led and adult-led smoking intervention program.Adolescence. 1995,30:187–194.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Chassin L, Presson CC, Sherman SJ, Edwards DA: Four pathways to young adult smoking status: Adolescent social-psychological antecedents in a midwestern community sample.Health Psychology. 1991,10: 409–418.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Chen P, White HR, Pandina RJ: Predictors of smoking cessation from adolescence into young adulthood.Addictive Behaviors. 2001,26:517–529.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Ellickson PL, Tucker JS, Klein DJ: Sex differences in predictors of adolescent smoking cessation.Health Psychology. 2001,20:186–195.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Turner GT: Peer support and young people’s health.Journal of Adolescence. 1999,22:567–572.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Benuck I, Gidding SS, Binns HJ: Identification of adolescent tobacco users in a pediatric practice.Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 2001,155:32–35.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Siqueira LM, Rolnitzky LM, Rickert VI: Smoking cessation in adolescents: The role of nicotine dependence, stress, and coping methods.Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 2001,155:489–495.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Balch GI: Exploring perceptions of smoking cessation among high school smokers: Input and feedback from focus groups.Preventive Medicine. 1998,27:A55-A63.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Gillespie A, Stanton W, Lowe JB, Hunter B: Feasibility of school-based smoking cessation programs.Journal of School Health. 1995,65:432–437.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Stanton WR, Lowe JB, Fisher KJ, Gillespie AM, Rose JM: Beliefs about smoking cessation among out-of-school youth.Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 1999,54:251–258.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Parker WC, Sussman S, Crippens DL, Scholl D, Elder P: Qualitative development of smoking prevention programming for minority youth.Addictive Behaviors. 1996,21:521–525.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Allen KF, Moss AJ, Giovino GA, Shopland DR, Pierce JP: Teenage tobacco-use: Data estimates from the Teenage Atti tudes and Practices Survey: United States, 1989.In Advance Data (No. 224). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Pingree S, Boberg E, Patten CA, et al.: Helping adolescents quit smoking: A needs assessment of current and former teen smokers.Journal of Health Communication (in press).

  23. Coogan PF, Adams M, Geller AC, et al.: Factors associated with smoking among children and adolescents in Connecticut.American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 1998,15:17–24.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Milam JE, Sussman S, Ritt-Olson A, Dent CW: Perceived vulnerability and cigarette smoking among adolescents.Addictive Behaviors. 2000,25:71–80.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Simantov E, Schoen C, Klein JD: Health-compromising behaviors: Why do adolescents smoke or drink?Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 2000,154:1025–1033.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Stone SL, Kristeller JL: Attitudes of adolescents toward smoking cessation.American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 1992,8:221–225.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Farkas AJ, Distefan JM, Choi WS, Gilpin EA, Pierce JP: Does parental smoking cessation discourage adolescent smoking?Preventive Medicine. 1999,28:213–218.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Choi WS, Pierce JP, Gilpin EA, Farkas AJ, Berry CC: Which adolescent experimenters progress to established smoking in the United States?American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 1997,13:385–391.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Gillespie AM, Fisher KJ, Stanton WR, Lowe JB: Australian students’ preferences for school-based smoking cessation programs.International Quarterly of Community Health Education. 1998,17:361–373.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Delene LM, Brogowicz AA: Student healthcare needs, attitudes, and behavior: Marketing implications for college health centers.Journal of American College Health, 1990,38:157–164.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. McCaughrin WC, Zielasko JI, Sarris RA: Targeting markets for effective college health programs under tight budget constraints.Evaluation and the Health Professions. 1994,17:77–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Croghan IT, O’Hara MR, Schroeder DR, et al.: A community-wide smoking cessation program: Quit and Win 1998 in Olmsted County.Preventive Medicine. 2001,33:229–238.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Zhu S, Sun J, Billings SC, Choi WS, Malacher A: Predictors of smoking cessation in U.S. adolescents.American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 1999,16:202–207.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Colby SM, Monti PM, Bnarnett NP, et al.: Brief motivational interviewing in a hospital setting for adolescent smoking: A preliminary study.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1998,66:574–578.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. McCormick L, Crawford M, Anderson R, et al.: Recruiting adolescents into qualitative tobacco research studies: Experiences and lessons learned.Journal of School Health. 1999,69:95–99.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Pirie PL, Murray DM, Luepker RV: Smoking prevalence in a cohort of adolescents, including absentees, dropouts, and transfers.American Journal of Public Health. 1988,78:176–178.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nicotine Research Program, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, 55905, Rochester, MN

    Christi A. Patten Ph.D., Kenneth P. Offord M.S., Steven C. Ames Ph.D., Paul A. Decker M.S., Ivana T. Croghan Ph.D., Troy D. Wolter M.S. & Richard D. Hurt M.D.

  2. Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT

    Ellen A. Dornelas Ph.D.

  3. University of Wisconsin, USA

    Suzanne Pingree Ph.D., Eric W. Boberg Ph.D. & David H. Gustafson Ph.D.

  4. University of Kansas Medical Center, USA

    Jasjit S. Ahluwalia M.D., M.P.H.

Authors
  1. Christi A. Patten Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kenneth P. Offord M.S.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Steven C. Ames Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Paul A. Decker M.S.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ivana T. Croghan Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ellen A. Dornelas Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Suzanne Pingree Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Eric W. Boberg Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. David H. Gustafson Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Jasjit S. Ahluwalia M.D., M.P.H.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Troy D. Wolter M.S.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Richard D. Hurt M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christi A. Patten Ph.D..

Additional information

Troy Wolter is now with the University of Minnesota Medical School. Eric Boberg is now with Northwestern University School of Medicine.

A copy of the adolescent survey administered in this study is available from Christi Patten.

We acknowledge a number of individuals for their substantial contribution to the conduct of this study: Rhonda Baumberger and the Nicotine Dependence Center Research Program staff, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; Jeremy Barbagallo, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT; Gemma Warner, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI; and Kari J. Harris, Ph.D., University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS.

About this article

Cite this article

Patten, C.A., Offord, K.P., Ames, S.C. et al. Differences in adolescent smoker and nonsmoker perceptions of strategies that would help an adolescent quit smoking. ann. behav. med. 26, 124–133 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324796ABM2602_04

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324796ABM2602_04

Keywords

Search

Navigation