Television viewing and age at smoking initiation: Does a relationship exist between higher levels of television viewing and earlier onset of smoking?
Television viewing and age at smoking initiation: Does a relationship exist between higher levels of television viewing and earlier onset of smoking?
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DOI：
10.1080/14622200500125260
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发表时间：
2005-06-01
影响因子：
4.7
通讯作者：
Van den Bulck, J
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Gutschoven, K;Van den Bulck, J
这项针对儿童的横断面研究使用了由学校研究助理管理的自我报告，评估了看电视与开始吸烟年龄之间的联系。参与者是来自比利时佛兰德斯15所中学的909名中学一年级和四年级的学生，他们至少抽过一支烟。主要的结果衡量标准是开始吸烟的年龄。自变量是每周的电视收视量。性别、教育程度、父母吸烟和同伴吸烟是控制变量。看电视与开始吸烟的年龄之间的关系是显著的。在青少年中，看电视的次数越多，吸烟行为发生的时间越早。看电视与吸烟开始年龄的关系比同伴吸烟、父母吸烟和性别的关系更强。每天每看一小时电视，开始吸烟的平均年龄就会减少60天。较重的电视观众在较早的年龄就开始吸烟。对这种关系提出了两种可能的解释。社会学习理论认为，对于大量观众来说，演员是行为榜样。养成理论表明，接触到积极的信息会影响吸烟态度。进一步的研究应该检查这种关系是否是因果关系，电视是否充当吸烟榜样的提供者，或者它是否影响吸烟态度。
This cross-sectional study of children assessed the association between television viewing and age at smoking initiation, using self-reports administered by research assistants in schools. Participants were 909 students in their first and fourth years of secondary education in a random sample of 15 secondary schools in Flanders, Belgium, who had smoked at least one cigarette. The main outcome measure was age at smoking initiation. The independent variable was weekly television viewing volume. Gender, educational level, parental smoking, and peer smoking were the control variables. The relationship between television viewing and age at smoking initiation was significant. Higher levels of television viewing were related to earlier onset of smoking behavior in adolescents. The relationship of television viewing with age at smoking initiation was stronger than that of peer smoking, parental smoking, and gender. For each hour of television viewing per day, the average smoking initiation age decreased by 60 days. Heavier television viewers start smoking at an earlier age. Two possible explanations for this relationship are suggested. Social learning theory suggests that actors and actresses serve as behavioral role models for heavy viewers. Cultivation theory suggests that exposure to positive messages influences smoking attitudes. Further research should examine whether the relationship is causal and whether television acts as a provider of smoking role models or whether it influences smoking attitudes.