The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: We know that most smokers have started their tobacco use during adolescence. Why do adolescents start to smoke? What can predict the smoking onset? Our objective is to present some long term predictors on tobacco use in a sample of Portuguese adolescents.

Methods: A sample of Portuguese adolescents from 11 schools located near Lisbon was followed from 7th grade (T1) till 9th grade (T2) (N = 545; at T1 the mean age = 13, SD=0.648, 57.1% were girls; smokers at T1 were excluded from the analysis). Data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire including items on attitudes, social norms, self-efficacy, intention to smoke next year and smoking behaviour.

Results: At T2 8.4% were weekly smokers, 45.9% were occasional smokers and 45.7% were never smokers. Logistic regression analysis was used to find predictors of smoking initiation. Starting to smoke at T2 was predicted by low school achievement, disrupted family, more money available to spend, smoking behaviour of best friend, low self-efficacy expectations to refuse cigarettes and intention to smoke in the future. After this analysis we did the logistic regression using only items from the self-efficacy scale. We found that low self-efficacy when they are with smoking friends was predictor of smoking initiation. Consequently, smoking prevention programs should deal with adolescent's intention to smoke and improve their self-efficacy expectations to refuse cigarettes when they are with smoking friends.