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- Title
With a Little Help from My Friends? Asymmetrical Social Influence on Adolescent Smoking Initiation and Cessation.
- Authors
Haas, Steven A.; Schaefer, David R.
- Abstract
This study investigates whether peer influence on smoking among adolescents is asymmetrical. We hypothesize that several features of smoking lead peers to have a stronger effect on smoking initiation than cessation. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health we estimate a dynamic network model that includes separate effects for increases versus decreases in smoking, while also controlling for endogenous network change. We find that the impact of peer influence is stronger for the initiation of smoking than smoking cessation. Adolescents rarely initiate smoking without peer influence but will cease smoking while their friends continue smoking. We discuss the implications of these results for theories of peer influence and health policy.
- Subjects
ADOLESCENT smoking; TEENAGERS; TOBACCO use; SMOKING cessation; PEER pressure; SMOKING; SOCIAL network research; NATIONAL Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Organization); DYNAMIC models; HEALTH planning
- Publication
Journal of Health & Social Behavior, 2014, Vol 55, Issue 2, p126
- ISSN
0022-1465
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1177/0022146514532817