Developmental Influences on Adolescent Smoking Patterns

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Family-based programs to prevent youth smoking have had limited success, perhaps because they have been "one size fits all." Experimenting youth are likely to be a behaviorally heterogeneous group. As a result, factors that distinguish youth who escalate from those who don't are likely to be more subtle and complex than those distinguishing never-smokers from smokers. The goal of this study is to investigate how the developmental context of youth smoking affects the risk of becoming a regular smoker by: (a) measuring relationship processes between parents and youth using observational methodology, (b) examining individual differences in youth problem behavior as a means of distinguishing normative experimentation (likely to be transient) from chronic and pervasive problem behavior (likely to persist and escalate), and (c) examining the interaction of family context and youth behavior. In particular, we (1) examine whether high quality family communication processes buffer experimenting youth against becoming regular smokers, (2) test the joint influence of parenting practices and youth problem behavior, and (3) examine whether a positive family context buffers youth against the effects of depression and risky peer networks on smoMng escalation. The sample will be comprised of 1400 youth, with over-sampling for smoking initiation. Questionnaire-based assessment of youth smoking, parenting practices and youth problem behavior and depressive symptoms will occur 6 times over 36 months. A sub-sample of 400 experimenting youth will also participate in an intensive sub-study of family relationship processes. Home-based observations of thmily discussions will be conducted twice between baseline and 24 months. In this sub-study, we will test whether parental open communication style and adolescent receptivity to family discussions about smoking reduce the risk of smoking escalation, and examine whether quality and content of family communications about smoking interact in predicting escalation. In the full sample, we will model the effects of (a) parental regulation of behavior as a function of youth problem behavior status and (b) test the buffering eft_cts era positive family context as a function of youth depressive symptoms and risky peer context, for youth at all levels of the smoking uptake continuum. Multi-level techniques will be used. Identifying individual differences in family influences on youth smoking will importantly inform targeted prevention and cessation efforts.