[Factors Influencing Adolescent Lifetime Smoking and Current Smoking in South Korea: Using data from the 10th (2014) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey].

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors influencing lifetime smoking and current smoking among adolescents in South Korea.

METHODS

Hierarchical logistic regression was conducted based on complex sample analysis using statistics from the 10th (2014) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey. The study sample comprised 72,060 adolescents aged 12 to 18.

RESULTS

The significant factors influencing adolescent lifetime smoking were female gender, older age, higher stress, higher weekly allowance, lower economic status, living apart from parents, parental smoking, sibling smoking, peer smoking, observation of school personnel smoking, and coed school compared to boys' school. The significant factors influencing adolescent current smoking were female gender, older age, higher stress, higher weekly allowance, both higher and lower economic status compared to middle economic status, living apart from parents, parental smoking, sibling smoking, peer smoking, observation of school personnel smoking, and coed school compared to boys' school.

CONCLUSION

Factors identified in this study need to be considered in programs directed at prevention of adolescent smoking and smoking cessation programs, as well as policies.