AI Article Synopsis
- We conducted a study using a stochastic actor-based approach to analyze how peer influence and the tendency to choose similar friends affect smoking behaviors among adolescents.
- Data was collected between 1994 and 1996 from two schools, with a total of 3,154 students, examining various smoking patterns.
- Our simulations showed that stronger peer influence can lead to lower smoking rates in schools, as nonsmokers may encourage smokers to quit, contrary to the belief that smokers primarily influence nonsmokers to start.
Article Abstract
We used a stochastic actor-based approach to examine the effect of peer influence and peer selection--the propensity to choose friends who are similar--on smoking among adolescents. Data were collected from 1994 to 1996 from 2 schools involved in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, with respectively 2178 and 976 students, and different levels of smoking. Our experimental manipulations of the peer influence and selection parameters in a simulation strategy indicated that stronger peer influence decreased school-level smoking. In contrast to the assumption that a smoker may induce a nonsmoker to begin smoking, adherence to antismoking norms may result in an adolescent nonsmoker inducing a smoker to stop smoking and reduce school-level smoking.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4638256 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302789 | DOI Listing |
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