Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Are the Recommended Taxonomies for the Stages of Youth Smoking Onset Consistent with Youth’s Perceptions of Their Smoking Status?

  • Published:
Canadian Journal of Public Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background: To examine if the recommended taxonomies for the stages of youth smoking onset are aligned with the beliefs of smoking youth.

Methods: The SHAPES Tobacco Module was administered to 23,047 students (grades 9 to 13) in a convenience sample of 29 secondary schools during the 2000–2001 school year in the province of Ontario, Canada. Cross-tabs were used to compare a student’s selfperceived smoking status to their smoking status as determined with the currently recommended stage taxonomies for smoking behaviour.

Results: The majority of students classified as regular smokers (52.4%) and experimental smokers (98.9%) did not actually consider themselves to be smokers. Self-reported smoking status appeared to be relatively consistent for the never smoker and established smoker categories.

Conclusions: Additional research is required to develop stage taxonomies that are aligned with the self-perceptions of non-established youth smokers.

Résumé

Contexte: Déterminer si la taxonomie recommandée des étapes menant à la décision de fumer chez les jeunes correspond aux perceptions des jeunes fumeurs.

Méthode: Le module sur le tabagisme du système SHAPES (School Health Action Planning and Evaluation System) a été administré à 23 047 élèves (de la 9e à la 13e année) d’un échantillon de commodité de 29 écoles secondaires pendant l’année scolaire 2000–2001 dans la province de l’Ontario. Par croisement des données, nous avons comparé l’usage du tabac perçu par l’élève et l’étape où en est cet élève selon la taxonomie actuellement recommandée de l’usage du tabac.

Résultats: Une majorité d’élèves se classait dans la catégorie des fumeurs réguliers (52,4 %), mais les fumeurs à titre expérimental (98,9 %) ne se considéraient pas vraiment comme étant des fumeurs. L’usage du tabac déclaré par l’intéressé correspondait assez bien à la taxonomie recommandée dans la catégorie des personnes n’ayant jamais fumé et dans celle des fumeurs permanents.

Conclusions: Il faudrait pousser la recherche pour élaborer une taxonomie qui corresponde aux autoperceptions des jeunes fumeurs qui ne fument pas encore régulièrement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Mayhew KP, Flay BR, Mott JA. Stages in the development of adolescent smoking. Drug Alcohol Depend 2000;59:S61–S81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Rubinstein ML, Halpner-Felsher BL, Thompson PJ, Millstein SG. Adolescents discriminate between types of smokers and related risks: Evidence from nonsmokers. J Adolesc Res 2003;18:651–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Nichter MI, Nichter MA, Vuckovic N, Quintero G, Ritenbaugh C. Smoking experimentation and initiation among adolescent girls: Qualitative and quantitative findings. Tob Control 1997;6:285–95.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Dugan S, Lloyd B, Lucas K. Stress and coping as determinants of adolescent smoking behavior. J Appl Soc Psychol 1999;29:870–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Sargent JD, Mott LA, Stevens M. Predictors of smoking cessation in adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1998;152:388–93.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Leatherdale S, McDonald PW. What smoking cessation approaches will young smokers use? Addict Behav 2005;30:1614–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Leatherdale S, Brown S, Cameron R, McDonald PW. Social modelling in the school environment, student characteristics, and smoking susceptibility: A multi-level analysis. J Adolesc Health 2005;37:330–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Stanton WR, McClelland M, Elwood C, Ferry D, Silva PA. Prevalence, reliability and bias of adolescents’ reports of smoking and quitting. Addiction 1996;91:1705–14.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. O’Loughlin J, DiFranza J, Tindale RF, Meshefedjian G, McMillan-Davey F, Clarke PB, et al. Nicotine-dependence symptoms are associated with smoking frequency in adolescents. Am J Prev Med 2003;25:219–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Preventive Oncology, Cancer Care Ontario, 620 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 2L7, Canada

    Scott T. Leatherdale PhD

  2. Department of Health Studies and Gerontology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    Scott T. Leatherdale PhD & Paul W. McDonald PhD

  3. Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Canada

    Scott T. Leatherdale PhD

  4. Population Health Research Group, University of Waterloo, Canada

    Paul W. McDonald PhD

Authors
  1. Scott T. Leatherdale PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Paul W. McDonald PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Scott T. Leatherdale PhD.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Leatherdale, S.T., McDonald, P.W. Are the Recommended Taxonomies for the Stages of Youth Smoking Onset Consistent with Youth’s Perceptions of Their Smoking Status?. Can J Public Health 97, 316–319 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03405612

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03405612

MeSH terms

Search

Navigation