Locus of control and smokeless tobacco use among adolescents.

Seventh-grade students from two school districts in rural North Carolina were surveyed to determine the prevalence and correlates of smokeless tobacco use. The survey was carried out as part of a larger project intended to study prevalence of "risky" behaviors, specifically alcohol and tobacco use. Data were collected from 322 students: 49% male, 36.6% nonwhite. Of those reporting use of smokeless tobacco (11.4%), virtually all were male; most reported weekly use, with a small proportion (1.3%) reporting daily use. Locus of control of "occasional" users was significantly more internal than those reporting "regular" use (p less than .05).