Stressful life events, social support, and smoking behaviors in United States And Chinese adolescents: A cross-cultural comparison

According to the World Health Organization in 2002, China and the United States were the top two consumers of cigarettes in the world. The high rates of smoking in both countries have and will continue to lead to increased rates of preventable diseases, deaths and high healthcare costs. Understanding the psychosocial factors associated with smoking in these two countries, particularly among adolescents who may become the next generation of smokers will provide information which can be used in smoking interventions.; Three studies were conducted to examine the relationship between stressful life events, social support and smoking among US and Chinese adolescents. Study One: A Longitudinal Analysis of Stressful Life Events and Smoking Behaviors among Multiethnic Adolescents. This study uses longitudinal data to examine the relationship between stressful life events, acculturative stress and smoking behaviors. This study also looks at whether gender was a moderator of these relationships. Study Two: Stressful Life Events and Smoking Behaviors in Chinese Adolescents: A Longitudinal Analysis. This longitudinal study examines the relationship between stressful life events and smoking behaviors among Chinese adolescents. Gender is also tested as both a possible confounder and moderator of this relationship. Study Three: Stressful Life Events, Social Support, and Smoking Behaviors in Chinese Adolescents: Is Social Support a Buffer or a Mediator? This study is an extension of study two, in that it is also a longitudinal study that examines stressful life events and smoking behaviors in Chinese adolescents, however social support included in the theoretical model. Sources of support (e.g., parental, peer, family, etc) are tested as potential mediators or moderators of the relationship between stressful life events and smoking behaviors.; The findings from this study indicate that stress is associated with smoking behaviors in both US and Chinese adolescents. Findings also indicated that smoking behaviors are influenced by different sources of stress among adolescents of the two countries. Stressful life events also appear to have a greater impact on females than males in both the US and in China. Implications for prevention studies and future research are discussed.