Simulating dynamic network models and adolescent smoking: The impact of varying peer influence and peer selection

C.M. Lakon, J.R. Hipp, C. Wang, C.T. Butts and R. Jose

American Journal of Public Health, 2015, vol. 105, issue 12, 2438-2448

Abstract: We used a stochastic actor-based approach to examine the effect of peer influence and peer selection - the propensity to choose friends who are similar - on smoking among adolescents. Data were collected from 1994 to 1996 from 2 schools involved in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, with respectively 2178 and 976 students, and different levels of smoking. Our experimental manipulations of the peer influence and selection parameters in a simulation strategy indicated that stronger peer influence decreased school-level smoking. In contrast to the assumption that a smoker may induce a nonsmoker to begin smoking, adherence to antismoking norms may result in an adolescent nonsmoker inducing a smoker to stop smoking and reduce school-level smoking.

Keywords: adolescent; child psychology; epidemiology; female; friend; human; longitudinal study; male; Markov chain; peer group; psychology; smoking; social support; theoretical model; United States, Adolescent; Female; Friends; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Models, Theoretical; Peer Group; Psychology, Adolescent; Smoking; Social Support; Stochastic Processes; United States (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302789

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2015.302789_8

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302789

Access Statistics for this article

American Journal of Public Health is currently edited by Alfredo Morabia

More articles in American Journal of Public Health from American Public Health Association
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Christopher F Baum ().