BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Our study investigates the theoretical and practical relationship between community resilience and adolescent smoking behavior, based on the assumption that experiencing the supportive, protective and regulatory power of local communities and neighborhoods influences adolescent smoking behavior, it delays the early testing and it reduces the prevalence of regular smoking. The study is based on an ongoing research related to smoking prevention. METHODS: Empirical, self-administered questionnaire based study, random, stratified, multistage sample, delivered in Mureş, Harghita and Covasna Counties, Romania. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The community relationship showed significant association with the smoking behavior, the risk of smoking was higher among those young people who had less contact with the local community. There was a significantly lower number of regular smokers among those adolescents who perceived restrictions by their family and community in relation to smoking and those with higher social capital.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Our study investigates the theoretical and practical relationship between community resilience and adolescent smoking behavior, based on the assumption that experiencing the supportive, protective and regulatory power of local communities and neighborhoods influences adolescent smoking behavior, it delays the early testing and it reduces the prevalence of regular smoking. The study is based on an ongoing research related to smoking prevention. METHODS: Empirical, self-administered questionnaire based study, random, stratified, multistage sample, delivered in Mureş, Harghita and Covasna Counties, Romania. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The community relationship showed significant association with the smoking behavior, the risk of smoking was higher among those young people who had less contact with the local community. There was a significantly lower number of regular smokers among those adolescents who perceived restrictions by their family and community in relation to smoking and those with higher social capital.