Premium
Adolescents with attitude … changes in views about smoking over time
Author(s) -
Mitchell Jenna,
Rosenberg Michael,
Wood Lisa
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
health promotion journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.515
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 2201-1617
pISSN - 1036-1073
DOI - 10.1071/he08109
Subject(s) - population health , health economics , public health , community health , medicine , environmental health , psychology , nursing
Issue Addressed Adolescents who experiment with smoking often develop into long‐term, dependent smokers. Appropriate youth smoking prevention strategies require an understanding of the predictors of smoking (e.g. attitudes and beliefs) and the amenability of these to change over time. Method A secondary analysis of ‘Smarter than Smoking’ evaluation data from a series of cross‐sectional surveys conducted over six years (1999–2005). The study sample comprised 683, 14–15 year‐old Western Australians residing across Perth. Basic descriptive statistics were calculated, accompanied by main effects logistic regression. Results Significant changes were observed between 1999 and 2005 in key attitudes and beliefs relating to smoking, with a strengthening in agreement with statements relating to the smell, cost and effects on fitness. For several attitudes and beliefs however, no change or a weakening of agreement was observed over time. Conclusions Overall, this study found support for a strengthening in smoking‐related attitudes and beliefs over the six year period (1999 to 2005). A number of the attitudinal and belief changes corresponded to messages targeted by Smarter than Smoking's communication objectives and media strategies. Attitudes and beliefs that did not change significantly over time were more likely to relate to consequences of smoking not directly targeted by the project. So what? While smoking related attitudes and beliefs have long formed part of the predictive profile for adolescent smoking, few studies have investigated whether the views held by adolescents have changed over time or whether such changes parallel youth smoking prevention efforts. This study provides insight into the amenability to change youth attitudes and beliefs and can help to inform the design of future smoking prevention strategies.