Smoking pattern differences among young adults in Florida: College-bound young adults versus young adults who go straight-to-work

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine patterns of situational, occasional, and established smoking behaviors among young adults who either continued their education or went straight-to-work.

Research Design and Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected via telephone interviews and were designed to be representative of the targeted Florida population. Young adults, 18-24, were interviewed in 2010 (n=4,400). Current smokers were classified as situational, occasional, or established users as described previously (Sly, Trapido, Ray 2002).

Results: Using the CDC recommended definition of any cigarette use (even a puff or two), 20.3% of young adults were current smokers. Of current smokers, 40.5% were situational, 48.4% were occasional, and 11.1% were established smokers. Further, smoking pattern differences exist between young adults who went straight-to-work versus young adults who entered college [X2(2,N=893) = 64.96, p=.001]. Young adults who went straight-to-work were more often occasional smokers versus those who entered college (66.6% vs. 38.75), with the college-bound group more likely to be situational smokers than the straight-to-work group (49.1% vs. 24.4%). There were no smoking pattern differences for those classified as established smokers.

Conclusions: The study found differences in cigarette use patterns between young adults who continued their education and young adults who went straight-to-work. Future anti-tobacco messaging targeting young adults could include the workplace to address health risks associated with lighter smoking patterns to prevent young adults from becoming established smokers, while collegiate focused programs could place emphasis on these risks as well as pursue strategies to de-normalize smoking in social settings.