Friendship networks and trajectories of adolescent tobacco use

Citation

Pollard, Michael; S; Tucker, Joan; S; Green, Harold; D; Kennedy, David; & Go, Myong-Hyun (2008). Friendship networks and trajectories of adolescent tobacco use. 2008 Add Health Users Conference. Bethesda, MD: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carolina Population Center.

Abstract

This study examines how friendship networks in adolescence are linked to tobacco use trajectories into young adulthood, using Add Health Waves I III and the longitudinal friendship network data from two of the saturated schools. We test whether number of, and changes in, self reported smoking friends are linked to longitudinal tobacco use. We add to the literature by further examining whether an individual’s structural position (group member, liaison or isolate) in friendship networks, and changes in position are linked to longitudinal tobacco use. Trajectories of tobacco use (average number of cigarettes smoked per day) are first modeled on the entire longitudinal Add Health sample using semi parametric longitudinal mixture models. Individuals are assigned to trajectory groups based on posterior probabilities of membership. Multinomial logit models of trajectory group membership are estimated, and include information on self reported number of smoking friends and a range of controls. Friendship network structural characteristics at Waves I and II for two saturated schools are modeled using NEGOPY. Network structure information is added to the models to investigate the association between structural position and tobacco use. Preliminary results identify five trajectories of tobacco use and indicate that exposure to smoking peers is positively associated with increasing and steady high use. Structural position is also significantly associated with trajectories of use (especially membership in a smoking group, followed by acting as a liaison connected to a smoking group). Finalized results will also examine trajectory membership as a function of changes in structural position.

URL

https://addhealth.cpc.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/docs/news/users-conference/2008%20Add%20Health%20Users%20Conference%20Abstracts.pdf

Reference Type

Conference proceeding

Book Title

2008 Add Health Users Conference

Author(s)

Pollard, Michael
S
Tucker, Joan
S
Green, Harold
D
Kennedy, David
Go, Myong-Hyun

Year Published

2008

Publisher

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carolina Population Center

City of Publication

Bethesda, MD

Reference ID

6295