The study also confirmed earlier findings that the more widespread children think smoking is, the more likely they are to start. Moreover, children who are socially competent-who have the ability to exercise self control and good judgment-and have parents who monitor their behavior tend not to start smoking. The study surveyed students in four middle schools in a suburban Maryland school district.
While researchers have known that both peers and parents play an important role in whether young teens and preteens start smoking, they've known less about whether the effects of peer influence on starting smoking is affected by other factors, such as parents' involvement, children's adjustment to school, and their degree of social competence.
"Many children start to experiment with smoking in early adolescence, " said Duane Alexander, M.D., Director of the NICHD. "Many then go on to develop a life-long addiction that can cause them serious health problems later in life. This study shows that by staying involved in their children's lives, parents can help them to avoid the smoking habit."
Bruce Simons-Morton, Ph.D., of NICHD's Division of Epidemiology, Statistics and Prevention Research, surveyed 1,081 students in four middle schools at the beginning and again at the end of sixth grade. The students completed a questionnaire that measured a variety of factors, including their friends' behavior and expectations; their own ability to resist dares, resolve conflicts, and retain self-control; and how well they follow rules, complete school work on time, and get along with classmates and teachers. The questionnaire also asked children about parents' involvement in their lives, their parents' expectations for them, and whether their parents check to see if the children have done what they've been asked to do.
The researchers found that teens with friends engaging in problem behavior-those who smoked, drank, cheated on tests, lied to parents, bullied others or damaged property — were more likely to smoke if their parents were relatively less involved than if their parents were relatively more involved. This finding pertained to all of the children studied — boys, girls, African Americans, Whites, children living with one parent, and with mothers who had not attended college. Parents' expectations about smoking and whether an adult at home smokes did not significantly influence children's decision to start smoking.
