Study Finds Smoking Susceptibility and Marketing Exposure of Youths Are Predictive of Cigarette Smoking

A new study has found that four questions on smoking susceptibility and reported exposure to tobacco industry-related marketing were predictive of cigarette smoking. The study, “Smoking Susceptibility and Tobacco Media Engagement among Youth Never-Smokers,” which will be published in the June 2021 issue of Pediatrics (published online May 3), studied four waves (2013-2018) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study data. Susceptibility was assessed by four items (openness to curiosity, try soon, try in the next year, and if your best friend offered) and categorized into levels. Youth who endorsed three of four susceptibility items at Wave 1 were three to four times more likely to be experimental, current, or established smokers at Wave 4 after accounting for electronic cigarette use. Exposure to tobacco marketing (receiving coupons and free samples), using tobacco-related apps, and seeing social media content posted about tobacco also predicted experimental smoking. African Americans and Latinos were less likely to experiment. Clinicians should consider screening adolescents for smoking susceptibility and tobacco-related media exposure, the authors conclude.

###

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.