Sociodemographic and smoking-related psychosocial predictors of smoking behavior change among high school smokers

The purpose of the study was to explore whether sociodemographic characteristics and baseline psychosocial factors were related to short-term smoking cessation and reduction, after controlling for the effects of participating in a virtual world, Internet chat room intervention. Results indicate that smoking-related psychosocial factors are important predictors of adolescent smoking cessation and reduction, independent of the effects of participating in the intervention. Self-efficacy for quitting, social support, and perceived benefits of quitting was related to positive short-term changes in smoking behavior. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.