Predicting regular cigarette use among continuation high school students.

OBJECTIVE

To provide a 1-year prospective examination of social, behavioral, intrapersonal and demographic factors that predict transition from experimental to regular cigarette use among continuation high school students.

METHODS

A cohort of 252 students completed baseline and 1-year follow-up questionnaires on health behaviors.

RESULTS

Relatively low smoking prevalence estimates, intention to smoke in the next year, violence perpetration, perceived stress, sensation seeking, and male gender predicted the transition to regular use 1 year later.

CONCLUSION

Intrapersonal variables may be relatively important in predicting the progression from experimental to regular smoking.