Racial/ethnic differences in predictors of the length of staying off cigarettes among adolescent regular smokers: Findings from a national study

Although it is well documented that adolescent smoking is a public health concern, there is a paucity of research examining racial/ethnic differences as well as similarities in predictors of the length of staying off cigarettes among adolescent regular smokers. Using data from the 2009 National Youth Tobacco Survey, 953 regular smokers(Weighted N=1,175,407) in grades 6 through 12 are selected. The sample consists of 77% white, 6% black, and 17% Latino/Hispanic. Regular smokers are conceptualized as those who smoked greater than 100 cigarettes in a lifetime and smoked in the last 30 days(CDC, 2004). The length of staying off cigarettes is measured by a 8-point scale(0=‘I have never tried quit' through 7='one year or more'). SAS PROC SURVEYREG is used for weighted regression models. Findings showed that 26% of white, 11% of black and 17% of Latino/Hispanic adolescents regularly smoked in this sample. After controlling for demographics, awareness of harmful effects of secondhand smoking(b=0.3), intention to smoke next year(b=-0.5), and refusal to smoke(b=0.5) predicted the length of staying off cigarettes among white smokers; male gender(b=0.7), confidence to quit smoking now(b= -0.7), refusal to smoke(b=1.3), and school truancy(b= -0.2) predicted the length among black smokers; and awareness of harmful effects(b=0.6), intention to smoke(b= -0.5), and school truancy(b= -0.3) predicted the length of staying off cigarettes among Latino/Hispanic smokers. Findings recommend that practitioners/policymakers integrate racial/ethnic differences and similarities in the predictors across the different groups into cessation programs. It is crucial to have them quit because of the devastating health consequences of smoking.