Social Norms and Smoking Risk in iTaukei Fijian Adolescent Women

• Published in: Health behavior and policy review Vol. 6; no. 3; pp. 242 - 255
• Main Authors: Gerbasi, Margaret E., Gilman, Stephen E., Bitton, Asaf, Becker, Anne E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd 01.05.2019
• Subjects: Adolescent Health; Fiji; Fijian Health; School Health; Social Norms; Tobacco Use And Control; peers; Tobacco; school-based; Fiji; adolescents
• ISSN: 2326-4403; 2326-4403
• DOI: 10.14485/HBPR.6.3.4

Objective: In this study, we investigated the association of a variety of social smoking exposures with cigarette smoking among iTaukei adolescent women in Fiji. Methods: Self-report data were collected in a representative sample of school-going iTaukei adolescent women (N = 523). We fit- ted logistic regression models of current cigarette smoking with school, peer, media, and other social exposures to smoking as predictors. Results: Current cigarette smoking was associated with exposure to close friend, peer, and routine social smoking as well as higher prevalence of school peer smoking, but not parent tobacco use and media smoking exposures-in our fully adjusted model. Conclusions: Peer and school-based smoking exposures may increase cigarette smoking risk in school-going iTaukei adolescent women and may be strategic interventional tar- gets to augment existing preventive approaches.