Longitudinal Study of Relations Between School Achievement and Smoking Behavior Among Secondary School Students in Finland: Results of the ESFA Study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore a longitudinal bi-directional relationship between school achievement and smoking behavior. The sample consists of 2,188 Finnish students in grades 7–9. Data were collected at three separate occasions between the years 1998 and 2000. Three hypothesized conceptual models were developed and tested using path analyses by structural equation modeling (SEM). Students that performed poorly at school smoked weekly six times more than those who achieved the highest school grade point averages at the age of 15. Using SEM, the findings suggest that not only does deterioration of school achievement contribute to progression in smoking uptake continuum but also vice versa progression in smoking uptake continuum to deterioration of school achievement over time (CFI = .997). There were no moderating effects of gender or treatment condition in the proposed models. Both deterioration of school achievement and progression in smoking uptake continuum predicted changes in other behavior during the first two years in secondary school in Finland.

RÉSUMÉ

Enquête longitudinale sur les relations entre succès scolaire et tabagisme parmi les collégiens en Finlande: résultats de l’enquête ESFA

L’objectif de cette étude a été d’explorer la relation bidirectionelle longitudinale entre succès scolaire et tabagisme. L’échantillon consistait de 2188 collégiens finlandais des classes de 7ème, 8ème et 9ème (l’équivalent français étant du 5ème au 3ème). Les données ont été recueilli en trois étapes entre les années 1998 et 2000. Trois modèles conceptuels ont été developpés et testés en employant un modèle d’équation structurelle (SEM) linéaire (“path analysis”). À l’âge de 15 ans, les étudiants qui avaient une faible peformance scolaire fumaient six fois plus par semaine que ceux qui achevaient les meilleures moyennes. Les étudiants qui avaient une faible peformance scolaire fumaient six fois plus par semaine que ceux qui achevaient les meilleures moyennes. En utilisant SEM, les résultats donnent raison de croire que non seulement plus la dégradation des notes scolaires est prononcée, plus cela incite un élève à fumer, mais aussi que l’inverse s’applique: plus un élève fume, plus ses notes scolaires vont se dégrader au cours du temps (CFI = .997). Il n’y avait pas d’éffets modérateur de sexe ou de condition de traitement dans les modèles proposés. La dégénérescence des notes scolaires ainsi qu’une progression du tabagisme indiquent d’autres changements de comportement chez les élèves pendant leurs deux premières années au collège en Finlande. Les limitations de l’étude et recherches futures ont été pris en considération.

RESUMEN

Estudio longitudinal de las relaciones entre el rendimiento escolar y el hábito de fumar de los escolares en el centro de enseñanza secundaria en Finlandia; resultados del estudio ESFA (European Smoking prevention Framework Approach, Marco europeo de prevención del tabaquismo)

El objetivo de este estudio fue él de examinar la relación longitudinal bidireccional entre el rendimiento escolar y el hábito de fumar. La muestra consistió en 2188 estudiantes finlandeses entre los grados de 7mo a 9no. Los datos fueron recaudados en tres ocasiones diferentes desde el año 1998 hasta el año 2000. Tres modelos conceptuales y supuestos fueron desarrollados y probados usando análisis de rutas con el modelo de ecuaciones estructurales. Los estudiantes que tenían poco rendimiento escolar fumaban semanalmente seis veces más que los que consiguieron el promedio más alto de las calificaciones a la edad de 15 años. Usando el modelo de ecuaciones estructurales el resultado fue que no solamente el empeoramiento del rendimiento escolar contribuye a la evolución del consumo continuo de tabaco sino también a viceversa, la evolución del consumo continuo de tabaco contribuye a la deterioración del rendimiento escolar con el tiempo (Índice Comparativo de Ajuste, CFI = .997). No había ninguna interacción de la condición de género o tratamiento en los modelos propuestos. Tanto el empeoramiento del rendimiento escolar como la evolución en el consumo continuo de tabaco pronosticaban cambios en otra conducta durante los dos primeros años en la enseñanza secundaria en Finlandia. Se toma nota de las limitaciones del estudio y de la investigación futura.

Keywords :

• smoking behavior
• smoking prevention
• school achievement
• adolescents
• gender
• ESFA

THE AUTHORS

Marjaana Pennanen is a researcher at the National Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland. She obtained her master's degree in Health Science from University of Tampere in 2003. She started her PhD studies in 2004 at the University of Helsinki. She has participated in various research programs: (1) European Smoking prevention Framework Approach (ESFA); (2) A school-based childhood depression and drug abuse prevention pilot program; (3) The Tobacco Report which includes contents of Finnish tobacco legislation and topical research data on tobacco. She did a research visit to Maastricht University, the Netherlands, in 2005.

Ari Haukkala is a University Lecturer at the Department of Social Psychology, University of Helsinki, Finland. He obtained his PhD from the University of Helsinki in 2002. He has had three main topics in his research: psychosocial factors in relation to cardiovascular disease and its other risk factors, smoking prevention, and psychosocial factors in predictive genetic testing for hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). Ongoing research projects include studies on psychosocial factors in eating behaviors and physical activity, passing the genetic information within HNPCC families, and smoking prevention program in Russian Karelia.

Hein de Vries is a Professor in Cancer Prevention and Health Promotion at the Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, Maastricht University in the Netherlands. He obtained his PhD from Maastricht University in 1989. He has worked extensively in the fields of prevention of cancer and cardiovascular diseases in areas such as tobacco control, physical activity, screening, and Aids prevention, and has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and chapters in books. He recently served as the principal investigator on the European Smoking Framework Approach Study. He also developed the I-Change Model. His other areas of interest are health counseling and computer tailoring, and eHealth. Theoretical interests pertain to concepts such as social influences, self-efficacy, and action planning.

Erkki Vartiainen is an Assistant Director General and Professor at the National Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland. He obtained his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Kuopio in 1981, PhD in Public Health from the University of Kuopio in 1983, and Docent in Public Health in 1985. He has worked extensively in the fields of health promotion and chronic disease prevention in areas such as youth smoking prevention programs and adult research programs. For example, he was a Program Director in the European Network for Young People and Tobacco (ENYPAT) in the Europe against Cancer Program, and a principal investigator in the Helsinki European Smoking Prevention Framework Approach. He has published over 300 publications in scientific journals on cardiovascular and other non-communicable disease epidemiology and prevention.