Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Differences among Adolescent Nonsmokers, Ex-Smokers, and Smokers.

BACKGROUND

A large body of research has traced tobacco dependence among adolescents to a series of intrapersonal and interpersonal factors. However, there are remaining questions regarding the differences on these factors related to tobacco use.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to investigate intrapersonal and interpersonal differences among adolescent nonsmokers, ex-smokers, and smokers.

METHODS

We used data from a 3-year project designed to investigate and address tobacco dependence among 1071 students (M = 15.76, SD = 1.52; girls = 51.54%) who were recruited from 11 high schools. Participants, filling out a survey, provided information on tobacco use (nonsmoker, ex-smoker, and smoker), tobacco-related experiences (smoking-related risk perception, parental smoking, number of friends who smoke, resisting peer pressure to smoke), cognitive variables (metacognitive skills), and personality traits (disinhibition and impulsivity).

RESULTS

Results from a discriminant function analysis showed that smokers and ex-smokers reported more disinhibition, impulsivity, number of friends who smoke and less self-control under peer pressure to smoke compared to nonsmokers. Ex-smokers reported less metacognitive processes, more smoking-related risk perception and were less likely to have parents who smoke. Conclusions/Importance: Interventions and campaigns aimed to persuade adolescents to stop smoking should work to develop adaptive metacognitive skills and an accurate risk perception of tobacco use.