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. 2010 Jun;35(6):607-11.
doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2010.02.011. Epub 2010 Feb 11.

Depression vulnerability predicts cigarette smoking among college students: Gender and negative reinforcement expectancies as contributing factors

Holly E R Morrell  1 , Lee M Cohen, Dennis E McChargue
Affiliations

Depression vulnerability predicts cigarette smoking among college students: Gender and negative reinforcement expectancies as contributing factors

Holly E R Morrell et al. Addict Behav. 2010 Jun.

Abstract

This study examined the association between vulnerability to depression and smoking behavior in 1214 college students (54% female), and evaluated gender and expectancies of negative affect reduction as moderators or mediators of this relationship. Depression vulnerability predicted smoking in females, but not males. The relationship between depression vulnerability and smoking status was mediated by expectancies of negative affect reduction in females only. Female college students who are vulnerable to depression may smoke because they expect smoking to relieve negative affect. Smoking interventions for college females may increase in effectiveness by targeting depression and emphasizing mood regulation.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Negative affect reduction expectancies as a mediator of the relationship between history of depression and smoking status (top panel), and between history of anhedonia and smoking status (bottom panel), for the total study sample. Statistics for the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable when the mediating variable is included in the regression model are presented in bold.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Negative affect reduction expectancies as a mediator of the relationship between history of depression and smoking status (top panel), and between history of anhedonia and smoking status (bottom panel), in females only. Statistics for the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable when the mediating variable is included in the regression model are presented in bold.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Negative affect reduction expectancies as a mediator of the relationship between history of depression and smoking status (top panel), and between history of anhedonia and smoking status (bottom panel), in males only. Statistics for the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable when the mediating variable is included in the regression model are presented in bold.
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