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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Kari-Lyn K. Sakuma, MPH, Chih-Ping Chou, PhD, Paula H. Palmer, PhD, Steven Cen, PhD, and C. Anderson Johnson, PhD. Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research, University of Southern California, 1000 S. Fremont Ave #8, Alhambra, CA 91803, 626-457-4023, kobayaka@usc.edu

Pacific Islander (PI) and rural populations continue to be understudied in tobacco prevention research programs. This study examined parent and friend influences on smoking intentions in a unique population with a proportionately high Asian and Pacific Islander group. Relationships among these factors may provide insight for the high smoking prevalence rates and young smoking initiation rates within Hawaii. We administered a survey to 815 7th grade youth in rural Hawaii to assess tobacco use risk factors. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was developed to evaluate our hypotheses. The conceptual model testing parental cigarette use, parental monitoring behaviors, and friend support pathways on smoking intentions yielded good fit (Satorra-Bentler chi-square=23.24, df=34, p=.918, CFI=1.0). Only one significant direct path from friend support to smoking intentions (std. gamma= -.185) was obtained (p=.05). Other significant factor loadings in the model were between parental use and parental monitoring behaviors to friend support (std. beta=.176 and std.beta=.319, respectively). These variables accounted for 45% of the variance in smoking intention and 19% of the variance in friend support. Mediators were also assessed and parental use had a significant influence on smoking intentions through friend support (std.beta=-.032). Parental monitoring also had a significant influence on smoking intentions through friend support (std.beta=-.059) at the p=.05 significance level. This may suggest that friend influences may be a stronger predictor of smoking intentions than parental cigarette use or parental monitoring behaviors in these populations. Further studies are needed to evaluate the moderating effects of Asian and PI ethnicities on these influential pathways.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Discuss parental and friend influences on smoking intentions for Hawaii rural youth
• 2.Identify the pathways of these social influences on smoking patterns through structural equation model analyses
• 3.Assess the importance of these influences and help identify points of intervention and communication channels

Keywords: Tobacco, Adolescents

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered