Learning Objectives: Understand the need to further explore the relationship between depression indicators and smoking, and tailor programs to address the particular needs of youth at the highest risk.
Abstract: As part of the Texas Tobacco Prevention Initiative, the Texas Department of Health is conducting a comprehensive pilot project in eight East Texas counties to reduce consumption. This presentation focuses on the results of data from a survey conducted with middle and high school students during the spring of 2000 (n=38,000), using an adapted version of the Youth Tobacco Survey. Six items assessing student’s sleeplessness and hopelessness (2), preference for risk taking behavior (2), and beliefs about smoking helping them when feeling depressed and bored (2) were selected for this analysis. The association between these six items and smoking status was assessed for each major ethnic group using a logistic regression model. Results showed that for Anglo-Saxon students, hopelessness and risk taking behavior were associated with smoking status, as well as the belief that smoking would help them when bored. Sleeplessness was not significantly associated to smoking in this ethnic group. For African American and Latino students all six items were significantly associated with smoking. For students of Asian origin sleeplessness and hopelessness were not associated at all with smoking status. There were not significant differences between genders. Among current heavy smokers, associations between indicators of depression and smoking were stronger. Results suggest a relationship between smoking and depression symptoms among teenagers of most ethnic groups in East Texas, and indicate the need to study the problem in more detail and consider tailored interventions for these high-risk students.
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