Personality patterns and Smoking behavior among students in Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

IntroductionPsychological factors have always been considered for their role on risk taking behavior such as substance abuse, risky driving and smoking. The aim of this study was to determine the association between smoking behavior and potential personality patterns among high school students in Tabriz, Iran.MethodsThrough a multistage sampling in a cross-sectional study, 1000 students were enrolled to represent the final grade high school student population of Tabriz, Iran in 2013. The personality patterns along with smoking status and some background information were collected through standard questionnaires along with Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III). Fourteen personality patterns and ten clinical syndromes. ANOVA and Kruskal Wallis tests were used to compare numeric scales among the study participants, with respect to their smoking status. Stata version 13 statistical software package was used to analyze the data. Multivariate logistic regression was used to predict likelihood of smoking by personality status.ResultsTwo logistic models were developed in both of whom male sex was identified as a determinant of regular smoking (1st model) and ever-smoking (2nd model). Depressive personality increased the likelihood of being a regular smoker by 2.8 times (OR=2.8, 95% CI: 1.3–6.1). The second personality disorder included in the model was sadistic personality with an odds ratio of 7.9 (96% CI: 1.2–53%). Histrionic personality increased the likelihood of experiencing smoking by 2.2 times (OR=2.2, 95% CI: 1.6–3.1) followed by borderline personality (OR=2.8, 95% CI: 0.97–8.1).ConclusionHistrionic and depressive personalities could be considered as strong associates of smoking, followed by borderline and sadistic personalities. A causal relationship couldn’t be assumed unless well controlled longitudinal studies reached the same findings using psychiatric interviews.

The Role of Optimism in Predicting Tobacco Smoking and Illicit Drug Use Among High School Students in Southeast of Iran, 2018

“…It should be noted that cigarette smoking, hookah use and illicit drug use were related to each other in this study, so that being in advanced level increased the likelihood of being in advanced stage of other ones. These results are in concordance with results of previous studies in Iran (14,17,18,20,21).…”

“…The main result of this study was the significant relationship between optimism score (as one of personality's factors) and tobacco smoking or illicit drugs use, so that the never-smokers reported higher optimism score compared with experimenters and regular smokers. This result is in concordance with previous studies from Iran and around the world, and indicates this fact that the students with less optimism are more likely to smoke cigarettes and use illicit drugs (5,17,(28)(29)(30). On the other hand, some studies accomplished that lack of optimism is associated with a collection of unhealthy habits and also positive association of pessimism and smoking (5,24,26).…”

“…The LOT refers to generalized outcome expectancies that positive events, rather than negative events, will happen (7). Some studies concluded that histrionic and depressive personalities could be considered as strong associates of smoking and the prevalence of histrionic and depressive personalities is low among optimistic persons (17). Therefore, these is evidence that pessimism could cause smoking or illicit drugs acquisition among adolescents.…”

“…It must be mentioned that the prevalence of tobacco smoking among students and adolescents in Iran and around the world, has been reported differently in the literature, ranging from 5.9% to 56% in different studies (14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22). However, there is an increasing trend in smoking prevalence in Iranian adolescents and the rate of becoming a smoker is high among Iranian adolescents (23).…”