The Influences of Friends' and Parental Smoking on Adolescent Smoking Behavior: The Effects of Time and Prior Smoking¹

Abstract

This research examines the relative importance of parental and friends' influences on adolescents' smoking behavior and changes in the effects of social influences during adolescence. Data were collected at 4 times from 7th to 9th grades. Random‐effects ordinal regression models were employed to predict the repeated classification of adolescent smoking status using time effects, prior smoking status, friends' smoking, and parental smoking. In general, the effects of friends' smoking are stronger than those of parental smoking, and these differences increase over time. In addition, friends' smoking has greater effects on nonsmokers than smokers. Separate models for males and females disclose some gender differences. In particular, the effects of friends' smoking are stronger for females than for males, and the increasing trend of friends' influences is more noticeable for females than for males. Models for 4 ethnic groups also suggest differential susceptibility to social influences in different cultures.

Genetic and Environmental Predictors of Alcohol Use in Asian American Young Adults

“…This is consistent with the conclusions in Hu et al (1995), wherein parental influence may be more salient in Asian American populations relative to other ethnic groups. Further research is warranted to expand on these findings by examining the influence of parental genotype as a potential moderator or mechanistic factor explaining the influence of parental history of alcohol problems on alcohol use and problems among Asian American young adults.…”

“…In addition, this study examined parental alcohol use (representing FH of alcohol misuse), as it has been linked to adolescent and young adult alcohol consumption among Asian Americans (Hendershot et al, 2005;Shih et al, 2010). In the general population, parental alcohol use has been shown to be a significant predictor of adolescent drinking (White et al, 2000); however, this effect was found to be particularly strong among Asian American adolescents (De Moor et al, 1989;Hu et al, 1995).…”

A comparison of the mediational properties of four adolescent smoking expectancy measures.

“…Showing that expectancies do not mediate the influence of four relatively weak predictors of smoking behavior cannot be considered a fair test of the expectancy-mediation hypothesis. In the present study we addressed this limitation by including three distal variables identified by previous research as being moderate to strong predictors of future adolescent smoking: (a) peer smoking, (b) parent smoking, and (c) current smoking status of the respondent (Biglan et al, 1995;Chassin et al, 1996;Conrad et al, 1992;Hu et al, 1995;Millar & Hunter, 1990).…”

“…Although the expectancy mediation hypothesis appears to be widely accepted in the literature, direct empirical tests have been rare. In the present study we investigated whether smoking expectancies mediate the effects of three factors previously shown to predict adolescent smoking intentions: (a) peer smoking, (b) parent smoking, and (c) respondents' current smoking status (Biglan, Duncan, Ary, & Smolkowski, 1995;Chassin, Presson, Rose, & Sherman, 1996;Conrad, Flay, & Hill, 1992;Hu et al, 1995;Millar & Hunter, 1990). Furthermore, to determine whether these mediational effects generalize across different measurement approaches, we compare the mediational properties of four operationalizations of the smoking expectancy construct.…”

Por qué fuman las adolescentes: Un modelo estructural de la intención de fumar

“…Generalmente, las chicas son más vulnerables que los muchachos a la influencia tabáquica de los pares, lo cual puede deberse a que las relaciones sociales entre chicas tienden a ser más íntimas y exclusivas, pasan más tiempo con amigos y están más involucradas en la vida de sus pares (Hu, Flay, Hedeker, Siddiqui y Day, 1995).…”