Classroom Norms and Individual Smoking Behavior in Middle School

Objectives: To investigate whether smoking prevalence in grade-level networks influences individual smoking, suggesting that peers are important social multipliers in teen smoking. Methods: We measured gender-specific, grade-level recent and life-time smoking among urban middle-school students who p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAmerican journal of health behavior Vol. 36; no. 1; pp. 12 - 19
Main Authors Yarnell, Lisa M, Brown, H. Shelton, III, Pasch, Keryn E, Perry, Cheryl L, Komro, Kelli A
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States PNG Publications 01.01.2012
Subjects
Age Differences
Chicago - epidemiology
Female
Females
Friendship
Gender Differences
Humans
Illinois
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Males
Middle School Students
Peer Group
Peer Influence
Prevalence
Schools
Sex Characteristics
Smoking
Smoking - epidemiology
Smoking - psychology
Social Influences
Social Values
Students - psychology
Students - statistics & numerical data
Urban Schools
Illinois
Chicago
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Summary:Objectives: To investigate whether smoking prevalence in grade-level networks influences individual smoking, suggesting that peers are important social multipliers in teen smoking. Methods: We measured gender-specific, grade-level recent and life-time smoking among urban middle-school students who participated in Project Northland Chicago in a longitudinal cohort design. Results: Within schools, grade-level recent smoking had comparable effects on girls' and boys' individual-level smoking. Grade-level lifetime smoking had a greater effect on girls' smoking. Conclusion: Interventions can target middle school classes and schools broadly, without making the identification of friendship networks a concern.
ISSN:1087-3244
1945-7359
DOI:10.5993/AJHB.36.1.2