Psychosocial determinants of smoking in Swiss adolescents with special reference to school stress and social capital in schools

Abstract

Objectives: To identify the major psychosocial determinants of smoking in adolescents and the school influence on these determinants. Methods: Cross-sectional questionnaire survey in 8th grade (age 14.8 years, n = 459) of 14 schools. Logistic regression with smoking as the dependent, and psychosocial indicators as independent variables. Total climate score for each school computed as the sum of scores of five school-related indicators. Linear regression analysis on aggregate data (school level), controlling for gender, ethnicity, and social class. Results: Five out of 15 tested psychosocial indicators were identified as independent protective factors. The prevalence of smoking decreased steeply with an increasing number of protective factors. In the regression analysis on the aggregate level the mean number of protective factors per school and the prevalence of smoking were significantly related to the school climate score (R2 = 0.650, p < 0.001, and R2 = 0.456, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Provided a causal interpretation of the cross-sectional statistical associations is correct, efforts to improve the general climate in schools appear as a promising strategy to enhance individual protective factors. Longitudinal evaluative studies are needed to prove the effectiveness of such a strategy.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Adolescents School climate Smoking Psychosocial determinants

Index Keywords

female human male questionnaire Gender adolescent Article controlled study longitudinal study scoring system major clinical study prevalence high school Switzerland Social psychology ethnology logistic regression analysis statistical analysis mental stress social status social environment social class primary school cigarette smoking linear regression analysis calculation

Author Affiliations

Not provided

Funding & Acknowledgements

National Science Foundation, NSF

Grant: 32-52731.97

This work is supported by the Federal Office of Public Health (contract No. 316.97.6131A/B/C) and the National Science Foundation (Grant No. 32-52731.97). We wish to express our sincere thanks to the pupils of the 6 th and the 8 th grades in the city of Bern and their teachers for their active collaboration. The support of the present and the former directors of the project "School Health Teams", Heidi Minder, Dr. Maria-Inez Carvajal and Dr. Alfredo Bacchetto, has been of decisive importance for the success of the project. We also wish to offer our gratitude to Helmut Vorkauf and Christoph E. Minder for statistical advice and to Rebecca Carrel, MPH, for reviewing the manuscript and to Thdr6se Hadorn-Vuille for correcting the french translation.

Bundesamt für Gesundheit, BAG

Grant: 316.97.6131A/B/C

This work is supported by the Federal Office of Public Health (contract No. 316.97.6131A/B/C) and the National Science Foundation (Grant No. 32-52731.97). We wish to express our sincere thanks to the pupils of the 6 th and the 8 th grades in the city of Bern and their teachers for their active collaboration. The support of the present and the former directors of the project "School Health Teams", Heidi Minder, Dr. Maria-Inez Carvajal and Dr. Alfredo Bacchetto, has been of decisive importance for the success of the project. We also wish to offer our gratitude to Helmut Vorkauf and Christoph E. Minder for statistical advice and to Rebecca Carrel, MPH, for reviewing the manuscript and to Thdr6se Hadorn-Vuille for correcting the french translation.

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Psychosocial determinants of smoking in Swiss adolescents with special reference to school stress and social capital in schools

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