Megan E Roberts1, Jessica E Nargiso2, Linda Brazil Gaitonde3, Cassandra A Stanton4, Suzanne M Colby5. 1. Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, The College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. 2. Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, Massachusetts. 3. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. 4. Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC, Westat, Rockville, Maryland. 5. Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Converging lines of research suggest that adolescents' smoking behaviors are strongly influenced by the characteristics of their social network and the social processes their network facilitates. The primary goal of this study was to conduct a detailed comparison of the social networks of adolescent smokers and nonsmokers to determine what aspects relate the most to smoking status. A secondary goal was to conduct within-group analyses to examine relationships between key measures of behavior-specific social support and (a) smoking susceptibility among nonsmokers, and (b) readiness to quit smoking among smokers. METHOD: A matched sample of 190 adolescent smokers and nonsmokers (Mage = 16.8 years; 51% female) completed a questionnaire in which they nominated and reported on up to 10 important people in their lives. This measure allowed us to examine adolescents' overall networks (both peers and family) and to investigate numerous aspects, including general network characteristics (e.g., size of network, average contact with network members), social support (e.g., importance of people in the network), and the pervasiveness of smoking in the network (e.g., percentage of smoking peers). RESULTS: The pervasiveness of smoking in adolescents' social network was the strongest distinguisher of smokers versus nonsmokers. In addition, behavior-specific social support was strongly associated with susceptibility to initiate smoking among nonsmokers and readiness to quit among smokers. CONCLUSIONS: This research offers insight into potential targets for prevention and early intervention by demonstrating how social networks can both promote and attenuate risk for smoking.
OBJECTIVE: Converging lines of research suggest that adolescents' smoking behaviors are strongly influenced by the characteristics of their social network and the social processes their network facilitates. The primary goal of this study was to conduct a detailed comparison of the social networks of adolescent smokers and nonsmokers to determine what aspects relate the most to smoking status. A secondary goal was to conduct within-group analyses to examine relationships between key measures of behavior-specific social support and (a) smoking susceptibility among nonsmokers, and (b) readiness to quit smoking among smokers. METHOD: A matched sample of 190 adolescent smokers and nonsmokers (Mage = 16.8 years; 51% female) completed a questionnaire in which they nominated and reported on up to 10 important people in their lives. This measure allowed us to examine adolescents' overall networks (both peers and family) and to investigate numerous aspects, including general network characteristics (e.g., size of network, average contact with network members), social support (e.g., importance of people in the network), and the pervasiveness of smoking in the network (e.g., percentage of smoking peers). RESULTS: The pervasiveness of smoking in adolescents' social network was the strongest distinguisher of smokers versus nonsmokers. In addition, behavior-specific social support was strongly associated with susceptibility to initiate smoking among nonsmokers and readiness to quit among smokers. CONCLUSIONS: This research offers insight into potential targets for prevention and early intervention by demonstrating how social networks can both promote and attenuate risk for smoking.
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