Objectives: We examined the structure of individual and social determinants of tobacco consumption in early adolescence.
Methods: Participants were drawn from a longitudinal study of a birth cohort of originally 384 children at risk for psychopathology. At the age of 15 years, adolescents completed self-report questionnaires measuring their tobacco consumption, smoking-related attitudes (self-efficacy and outcome expectancies), and the smoking behaviour of their friends and parents.
Results: About 60% of the 15-year olds reported ever having used tobacco, while nearly 16% reported that they smoked daily. Both smoking-related self-efficacy and peer smoking were most strongly related to early use of tobacco by males and females. Adolescents with a low level of self-efficacy and a large number of friends who smoke were at the greatest risk. While peer smoking influenced both, adolescent smoking and smoking-related attitudes, parental smoking exerted only a minor direct effect on tobacco use among 15-year olds.
Conclusions: The smoking level and smoking-related attitudes during early adolescence are strongly influenced by the smoking habits of one's peers.