Tobacco Use among School Adolescents: National Sociodemographic Risk Profiles

Abstract

This article examines sociodemographic risk and smoking and smokeless tobacco use among a national sample of school-based adolescents who participated in the 1993 Teenage Attitudes and Practices Survey. Findings show that six sociodemographic factors (age, gender, ethnicity, income, type of urban area, and region) were significantly associated with cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use. Of all smokeless tobacco users, 71.5 percent were also regular smokers or experimental smokers. This article highlights the need to provide comprehensive tobacco use prevention programs that focus on both cigarette and smokeless tobacco use among school adolescents.