Characteristics of novice adolescent smokers, NDIT study, 1999–2005
| Smokers at baseline, n (range) = 615–620 | Pooled sample of smokersa, n (range) = 3862–3921 | |
|---|---|---|
| Sociodemographic | ||
| Male (%)b | 37.2 | 30.3 |
| Age, y [median (IQR)] | 13.4 (1.3) | 14.4 (1.7) |
| French speaking (%)b | 19.4 | 23.3 |
| Single-parent family (%)b | 14.2 | 16.2 |
| Parent(s) university educated (%)b | 42.4 | 46.7 |
| Psychosocial indicators | ||
| Family stress [median (IQR)] | 1.2 (0.8) | 1.3 (0.6) |
| Non–family-related stress [median (IQR)] | 1.6 (0.7) | 1.6 (0.8) |
| Depression symptoms [median (IQR)] | 2.2 (1.1) | 2.2 (1.1) |
| Impulsivity [median (IQR)] | 2.6 (1.3) | 2.6 (1.4) |
| Novelty-seeking [median (IQR)] | 3.2 (1.1) | 3.2 (1.1) |
| Self-esteem [median (IQR)] | 2.5 (0.7) | 2.4 (0.7) |
| Worrying about weight (%)b | 47.8 | 49.3 |
| Cigarette package warnings make me afraid to smoke (% no)b | 43.9 | 40.6 |
| Cigarette ads make me want to smoke (% yes)b | 24.0 | 28.5 |
| Overweight (%) | 25.5 | 28.7 |
| Asthma (%) | 19.0 | 18.4 |
| Lifestyle indicators | ||
| Alcohol use (%)b | 74.6 | 80.3 |
| Use tobacco products other than cigarettes (%)b | 44.5 | 40.7 |
| Illicit drug use (%)b | 34.9 | 58.8 |
| Light physical activity [median (IQR)] | 6.3 (7.0) | 7.0 (6.0) |
| Moderate physical activity [median (IQR)] | 10.0 (13.0) | 8.0 (13.0) |
| Vigorous physical activity [median (IQR)] | 2.0 (7.0) | 2.0 (7.0) |
| Participation in team sports (%)b | 56.2 | 49.3 |
| TV watching per week, h [median (IQR)] | 6.0 (5.5) | 5.5 (5.0) |
| Smoking and nicotine dependence indicators | ||
| No. cycles since smoking initiation [median (IQR)] | 1.0 (1.0) | 4.0 (5.0) |
| No. cigarettes smoked per month in past 3 months [median (IQR)] | 0.6 (5.1) | 3.0 (99.8) |
| Tolerance (%)b | 21.0 | 30.2 |
| Other nicotine dependence symptoms [median (IQR)] | 2.0 (8.0) | 7.6 (13.0) |
| Self-medication [median (IQR)] | 0.0 (2.4) | 1.0 (5.0) |
| Withdrawal symptoms [median (IQR)] | 0.0 (1.1) | 1.0 (3.0) |
| Context-level indicators | ||
| Social environment | ||
| Parent(s) smoke (%)b | 43.3 | 43.9 |
| Sibling(s) smoke (%)b | 29.9 | 34.2 |
| Friends smoke (%)b | 87.4 | 92.9 |
| Teachers/school staff smoke often (%)b | 77.8 | 80.0 |
| Neighborhood indicators | ||
| Tolerance of smoking at school (% high)b | 37.3 | 39.2 |
| Tolerance of smoking in local corner stores [median (IQR)] | 0.3 (0.2) | 0.4 (0.5) |
| Tolerance of smoking in local restaurants [median (IQR)] | 0.3 (0.4) | 0.3 (0.4) |