Skip to main content
Log in

Prevention of cigarette smoking in seventh grade students

  • Published:
Journal of Behavioral Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An 8-month school-based smoking prevention program tested with 1526 seventh grade students resulted in a substantial reduction in the incidence of smoking relative to a comparison population. Two curriculum elements were found to have important deterrent effects on smoking onset: (1) emphasis on immediate and primarily social consequences of smoking and (2) personalization of the course materials and mode of presentation to include relevant peer role models and active individual role playing. Thiocyanate analysis of saliva samples taken from all participants corroborated the validity of self-report measures of smoking behavior.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barylko-Pikielna, N., and Pangborn, R. M. (1968). Effect of cigarette smoking on urinary and salivary thiocyanates.Arch. Environ. Health 17: 739–745.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butts, W. C., Kuehneman, M., and Widdowson, G. M. (1974). Automated method for determining serum thiocyanate, to distinguish smokers from nonsmokers.Clin. Chem. 20: 1344–1348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bynner, J. M. (1969).The Young Smoker, H. M. S. O. Government Social Survey, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dekker, E. (1977). Youth culture and influences on the smoking behavior of young people. InUSDHEW: Proceedings of the 3rd World Conference on Smoking and Health, 1975, USPGO, DHEW Publication No. (NIH) 77-1413, Washington, D.C.

  • Densen, P. M., Davidow, B., Bass, H. E., and Jones, E. W. (1967). A chemical test for smoking exposure.Arch. Environ. Health 14: 865–874.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, R. I. (1976). Smoking in children: Developing a social psychological strategy of deterrence.Prevent. Med. 5: 122–127.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, R. I. (1979). Smoking in children and adolescents: Psychosocial determinants and prevention strategies. InSmoking and Health: Report of the Surgeon General, GPO, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, R. I., Rozelle, R. M., and Mittelmark, M. B.,et al. (1978). Deterring the onset of smoking in children: Knowledge of immediate physiological effects and coping with peer pressure, media pressure and parent modeling.J. Appl. Soc. Psychol. 8: 126–135.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris, J. E. (1979). Cigarette smoking in the United States, 1950–78. InSmoking and Health: Report of the Surgeon General, USDHEW, PHS, GPO, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hollander, E. P. (1976).Principles and Methods of Social Psychology, 3rd ed., Oxford University Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horn, D., Courts, F. A.,et al. (1959). Cigarette smoking among high school students.Am. J. Public Health 49: 1497–1511.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horn, D. (1960). Modifying smoking habits in high school students.Children 7: 65–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, E. E., and Sigall, H. (1971). The bogus pipeline: A new paradigm for measuring affect and attitude.Psychol. Bull. 76: 349–364.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, J. A., Piper, G. W., and Mathews, F. L. (1970). A student-directed program in smoking education.Can. J. Public Health 61: 253–258.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langer, P., and Greer, M. A. (1977).Antithyroid Substances and Naturally Occurring Goitrogens, Praeger, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laughlin, T. J., and Wake, F. R. (1970). Social-psychological aspects of cigarette smoking.Can. J. Public Health 61: 301–312.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leventhal, H. (1973). Changing attitudes and habits to reduce risk factors in chronic disease.Am. J. Cardiol. 31: 571–580.

    Google Scholar 

  • McAlister, A., Perry, C., and Maccoby, N. (1979). Adolescent smoking: Onset and prevention.Pediatrics 63: 650–658.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mischel, W. (1976).Introduction to Personality, 2nd ed., Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmer, A. B. (1970). Some variables contributing to the onset of cigarette smoking among junior high students.Soc. Sci. Med. 4: 359–366.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pechacek, T. P., Luepker, R. V., Jacobs, D. R., Fraser, G. E., and Blackburn, H. (1979). Effect of diet and smoking on serum and saliva thiocyanates. Paper presented at AHA Conference on Cardiovascular Epidemiology, New Orleans, March 19–21.

  • Piper, G. W., Jones, J. A., and Matthews, V. L. (1970). The Saskatoon smoking project: The model.Can. J. Public Health 61: 503–508.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piper, G. W., Jones, J. A., and Matthews, V. L. (1974). The Saskatoon smoking project: results of the second year.Can J. Public Health 65: 127–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quigley-Fernandez, B., and Tedeschi, J. T. (1978). The bogus pipeline as lie detector: Two validity studies.J. Personal. Soc. Psychol. 36: 247–256.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reeder, L. G. (1977). Sociocultural factors in the etiology of smoking behavior: An assessment. In Jarvik, M.,et al. (eds.),Research on Smoking Behavior, USGPO, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Russell, M.A. H. (1971). Cigarette smoking: Natural history of a dependence disorder.Br. J. Med. Psychol. 44: 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, J. L. (1970). Adolescent smoking behavior: Curiosity, conformity and rebellion. In Bruess, C. E., and M. I. Fisher (eds.),Selected Readings in Health, Macmillan, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamerin, J. S. (1973). Recent increase in adolescent cigarette smoking.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 28: 116–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tenovuo, J., and Makinen, K. K. (1976). Concentration of thiocyanate and ionizable iodine in saliva of smokers and non-smokers.J. Dental Res. 55: 661–663.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, E. L. (1978). Smoking education program 1960–1976.Am. J. Public Health 68: 250–257.

    Google Scholar 

  • William, T. M. (1971).Summary and implications of review of literature related to adolescent smoking, September, USDHEW, CDC, NCSH, Bethesda, Md.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yankelovich, D. (1974).The New Morality, McGraw-Hill, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zigler, E., and Child, I. L. (1969). Socialization. In Lindsey, G., and Aronson, E. (eds.),Handbook of Social Psychology, 2nd ed., Vol. 3, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

The research was supported in part by the Minnesota Heart Association, by the American Cancer Society, and by HEW, Public Health Service Grant 05D-000572.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hurd, P.D., Johnson, C.A., Pechacek, T. et al. Prevention of cigarette smoking in seventh grade students. J Behav Med 3, 15–28 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00844911

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00844911

Key words

Navigation