Reasons to quit smoking by social status in adolescents

Background: Recent studies report social disparities in reasons to quit smoking among adults, but it is unclear if this observation also pertains to adolescents who smoke. The objective of this study was to describe social disparities in reasons to quit smoking in adolescents. Method: Data on indicators of social status, cigarette smoking and the Adolescent Reasons For Quitting (ARFQ) scale were collected in mailed self-report questionnaires completed by 1,242 grade u students in 2010-11. The associations between each of ten social status indicators and two of the ARFQ subscales were investigated among current adolescents who smoke (n=190; 45% male; mean (sd) age =16.8(0.5)) in logistic regression analyses controlling for age, sex and number of years since first puff. Results: Sixty-three percent of adolescents who smoke rated health as an extremely or very important reason to quit smoking; only 28% endorsed social disapproval. None of the indicators of social status were associated with health as a reason to quit. Participants whose mothers were employed were less likely to endorse social disapproval as a reason to quit smoking (OR (95% CI) = 0.38 (0.15-0.96)). Conclusions: Adolescents who smoke, regardless of social status, endorse health as an important reason to quit smoking, but fewer thought that social disapproval was important. There are few social disparities in reasons to quit in adolescents.