Beliefs about smoking among adolescents - Gender and ethnic differences

A consistent 20-year trend in adolescent tobacco use is that African American youth smoke cigarettes at a lower rate than other ethnic groups. To better understand this difference, our study identified gender and ethnic beliefs about cigarette smoking and abstention from smoking. In a multi-ethnic sample of adolescents, based on qualitative analysis of 63 in depth interviews with African American, Hispanic, and European American adolescents, we found unique beliefs. In general, adolescents were well aware of the adverse health effects of smoking. Female adolescents were more concerned with aesthetics as a smoking disadvantage than were male adolescents. Unique to this study, African Americans and Never Smokers emphasized moral and ethical reasons for not smoking. Examples of the Moral/Ethical theme are "They know wrong from right" and "It is not right to do it." We discuss how the Moral/Ethical theme may have developed. Further, we present recommendations for future research to clarify influences for smoking and not smoking by gender and ethnic group among adolescents.