|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||
RESEARCH PAPER |
1 Fitchburg State College, Fitchburg, Massachusetts, USA
2 University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
Correspondence to:
Joseph R DiFranza MD
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue, Worcester, Massachusetts 01655, USA; difranzj{at}ummhc.org
Objective: To describe short term patterns of smoking acquisition exhibited by adolescent smokers.
Design: Interview records from the prospective development and assessment of nicotine dependence in youth study were examined retrospectively. Interviews were conducted three times per year over 30 months.
Subjects: 164 students in grades 79 (ages 1215 years, 86 girls, 78 boys) who had used cigarettes at least twice.
Main outcome measures: A continuous timeline of smoking activity, beginning with the subjects first use of tobacco and continuing through follow up, was translated into six patternsabstinent, sporadic, occasional, daily, escalating, and intermittent. Outcome measures were the proportion of subjects starting/ending in each pattern, and the number of transitions per subject between patterns.
Results: There was a general but discontinuous progression from infrequent to more frequent use, with many interspersed periods of not smoking. Escalation to daily smoking was common after the development of dependence symptoms, but was rare among those who did not have symptoms. After the appearance of symptoms, both transitions to heavier daily smoking and attempts at cessation increased.
Conclusions: Movement to heavier, more frequent smoking is generally unidirectional, although many youths attempt to quit one or more times. The appearance of any symptom of dependence altered the subsequent pattern of smoking behaviour. Future investigators might consider using more frequent data points and a continuous timeline to track smoking behaviour.
Abbreviations: DANDY, development and assessment of nicotine dependence in youth; HONC, hooked on nicotine checklist; tps, transitions per subject
Keywords: tobacco acquisition; addiction; adolescents; smoking; patterns
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
C T C Okoli, C G Richardson, P A Ratner, and J L Johnson An examination of the smoking identities and taxonomies of smoking behaviour of youth Tob. Control, June 1, 2008; 17(3): 151 - 158. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. Siegel, A. B. Albers, D. M. Cheng, W. L. Hamilton, and L. Biener Local Restaurant Smoking Regulations and the Adolescent Smoking Initiation Process: Results of a Multilevel Contextual Analysis Among Massachusetts Youth Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, May 1, 2008; 162(5): 477 - 483. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
K. R. Kast, R. Berg, A. Deas, D. Lezotte, and L. A. Crane Colorado Dental Practitioners' Attitudes and Practices Regarding Tobacco-Use Prevention Activities for 8- Through 12-Year-Old Patients J Am Dent Assoc, April 1, 2008; 139(4): 467 - 475. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. R. DiFranza and J. B. Richmond Let the Children Be Heard: Lessons From Studies of the Early Onset of Tobacco Addiction Pediatrics, March 1, 2008; 121(3): 623 - 624. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. Bancej, J. O'Loughlin, R. W Platt, G. Paradis, and A. Gervais Smoking cessation attempts among adolescent smokers: a systematic review of prevalence studies Tob. Control, December 1, 2007; 16(6): e8 - e8. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. R. DiFranza, J. A. Savageau, K. Fletcher, L. Pbert, J. O'Loughlin, A. D. McNeill, J. K. Ockene, K. Friedman, J. Hazelton, C. Wood, et al. Susceptibility to Nicotine Dependence: The Development and Assessment of Nicotine Dependence in Youth 2 Study Pediatrics, October 1, 2007; 120(4): e974 - e983. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. D. Sargent, M. Stoolmiller, K. A. Worth, S. Dal Cin, T. A. Wills, F. X. Gibbons, M. Gerrard, and S. Tanski Exposure to Smoking Depictions in Movies: Its Association With Established Adolescent Smoking Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, September 1, 2007; 161(9): 849 - 856. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. R. DiFranza, J. A. Savageau, K. Fletcher, J. O'Loughlin, L. Pbert, J. K. Ockene, A. D. McNeill, J. Hazelton, K. Friedman, G. Dussault, et al. Symptoms of Tobacco Dependence After Brief Intermittent Use: The Development and Assessment of Nicotine Dependence in Youth-2 Study Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, July 1, 2007; 161(7): 704 - 710. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. Conley Thomson, W. L Hamilton, M. B Siegel, L. Biener, and N. A Rigotti Effect of local youth-access regulations on progression to established smoking among youths in Massachusetts Tob. Control, April 1, 2007; 16(2): 119 - 126. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. J. Wellman, D. B. Sugarman, J. R. DiFranza, and J. P. Winickoff The Extent to Which Tobacco Marketing and Tobacco Use in Films Contribute to Children's Use of Tobacco: A Meta-analysis Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, December 1, 2006; 160(12): 1285 - 1296. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. Gervais, J. O'Loughlin, G. Meshefedjian, C. Bancej, and M. Tremblay Milestones in the natural course of onset of cigarette use among adolescents. Can. Med. Assoc. J., August 1, 2006; 175(3): 255 - 261. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M Siegel, A B Albers, D M Cheng, L Biener, and N A Rigotti Effect of local restaurant smoking regulations on progression to established smoking among youths Tob. Control, October 1, 2005; 14(5): 300 - 306. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS | REGISTER |