Learning Objectives: Identify and explain the importance of contextual influences, such as school sociodemographic factors, on individual adolescent smoking behaviors.
Abstract: Problem/Objective Although limited evidence indicates that school-level factors impact adolescent problem behaviors, few studies have examined the role of school sociodemographic characteristics on adolescent smoking. The objective of the current study was to examine the unique contributions of school smoking prevalence and school sociodemographic factors (% minority, % low socioeconomic status) to middle school students' intentions to smoke next year, over and above the effects of family smoking, friend smoking, smoking-related tolerance for deviance, and current smoking.
Methods A youth tobacco survey was completed by 13,726 6th - 9th grade students (51% female; 19% African American; 38% Hispanic) attending one of 22 middle/junior high schools in Texas. School sociodemographic characteristics were obtained from official school data.
Results Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine the contributions of school-level influences to student intentions to smoke next year, while controlling for individual-level factors. Results showed that females and males attending schools with fewer disadvantaged students and with a larger percentage of minority students were more likely to intend to smoke next year. Males attending schools with a higher prevalence of smoking among male peers also were more likely to intend to smoke next year.
Discussion Although students have no direct control over the sociodemographic characteristics of their schools, such contextual influences impact their own smoking behaviors. These findings suggest that prevention and control efforts should consider the role of school contextual influences in a comprehensive approach to preventing tobacco use.
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