Document Type

Article - postprint

Department

Community and Global Health (CGU)

Publication Date

5-2012

Disciplines

Health Psychology | Multicultural Psychology | Public Health Education and Promotion | Race and Ethnicity | Substance Abuse and Addiction

Abstract

Associations between peer group self-identification and smoking were examined among 2,698 ethnically diverse middle school students in Los Angeles who self-identified with groups such as Rockers, Skaters, and Gamers. The sample was 47.1% male, 54.7% Latino, 25.4% Asian, 10.8% White, 9.1% Other ethnicity, and 59.3% children of immigrant parents. Multiple group self identification was common: 84% identified with two or more groups and 65% identified with three or more groups. Logistic regression analyses indicated that as students endorsed more high risk groups, the greater their risk of tobacco use. A classification tree analysis identified risk groups based on interactions among ethnicity, gender, and group self-identification. Psychographic targeting based on group self-identification could be useful to design more relevant smoking prevention messages for adolescents who identify with high-risk peer groups.

Comments

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Substance Use & Misuse on 05/2012, available online: .http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/10826084.2011.608959


Accessed through the National Institute of Health

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4201855/

Rights Information

© 2012 Carl Anderson Johnson. Posted with permission.

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