Cigarette Smoking Among High School Students

Abstract

A study was made of smoking among high school students in Portland, Ore., and the surrounding highly urbanized area. Two relatively independent factors were found that describe the groups with a high proportion of smoking: (1): a correspondence with family practices as indicated by parental smoking, and (2) a syndrome of personal factors characterizing inactive students (nonparticipanis in extracurricular activities) who tend to be scholastically unsuccessful (older than their classmates) and with lower academic goals (not taking algebra as a college preparatory course). The significantly higher proportion of smokers found in the Catholic parochial schools is not accounted for by these factors.