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Motivation for smoking uptake and effective intervention strategies: a qualitative study of adolescents
Jennifer Fidler, Research Psychologist, Health Behaviour Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London
Abstract
What motivates adolescents to start smoking is an area that has been extensively investigated yet remains poorly understood. This presentation summarises findings from a qualitative study of adolescents’ views as to why people their age smoke, and their opinions regarding effective smoking advice. Forty-four 13-14 year old students, 55% female, both smokers and non-smokers, from two South London schools participated in seven focus groups. Framework analysis of discussions highlighted several proposed reasons for smoking uptake. Smoking as a method of stress reduction particularly among students experiencing problems with family and home life was a frequently raised theme. Peer smoking was also seen as important, especially in terms of adapting behaviour to fit in with certain groups. The role that smoking plays in portraying an attractive and grown-up image was raised as was the view that young people smoked because it was different, risky or was something to be experienced. There was no indication that smoking was used to control weight at this age, although weight gain was cited as a reason why smokers might not want to give up. It was acknowledged that smoking damages health and sportier students saw smoking as incompatible with sporting success. Effective methods of intervention were considered to be interactive and run by non-school personnel, with both boys and girls preferring visual ‘gory’ details about the effects of smoking on health. Some students also had a strong interest in the impact of socio-political factors on their smoking behaviour. These findings, recognising some methodological limitations, could have implications for formulating future interventions.
Biography
Jenny Fidler graduated from the University of Warwick in 2001 with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and obtained an MSc in Health Psychology from UCL in 2002. Jenny joined the Health Behaviour Unit at UCL as a Research Psychologist in 2002 and is currently working on the HABITS (Health and Behaviour in Teenagers) study, a five year longitudinal project which has followed over 5000 participants from 11 to 16. Her work focuses on the smoking aspects of this study and her PhD, supervised by Robert West and Jane Wardle, is entitled ‘the patterns, predictors and correlates of adolescent smoking’.
Jennifer Fidler
Health Behaviour Unit, Brook House
2-16 Torrington Place
London
WC1E 6BT
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