Teenage Smoking, Attempts to Quit, and School Performance

Abstract:
This study examined the relationship between school performance between school performance, smoking, and quitting attempts among teenagers. A logistic regression model was used to predict the probability of being a current smoker or a former smoker. Data were derived from the 1990 California Youth Tobacco Survey. The results showed that students' school performance was a key factor in predicting smoking and quitting attempts when other sociodemographic and family income factors were controlled. Other results showed that the older the teen, the less likely he or she is to successfully quit smoking; below-average students are less likely to become former smokers; and below-average students with lower household incomes make fewer attempts to quit. The literature shows that there is no direct causation from smoking and school performance, but smoking might have an indirect effect, leading to other delinquency behaviors or drug abuse. These behaviors could in turn lead to poor school performance. It was concluded that developing academic or remedial classes designed to improve students' school performance may lead to a reduction in smoking rates among teenagers while simultaneously providing a human capital investment in their future.

Author(s): HU, Teh-wei; LIN, Zihua; KEELER, Theodore

Publication: American Journal of Public Health


Date Published: 6/1/1998

Pages: 4

Comments:
Requests for reprints should be sent to Teh-wei Hu, PhD, School of Public Health, 412 Warren Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720.

Location Code: 19071