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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2011 Jan;39(1):45-57.
doi: 10.1007/s10802-010-9446-6.

The role of friends' disruptive behavior in the development of children's tobacco experimentation: results from a preventive intervention study

Pol A C van Lier  1 , Anja Huizink, Patricia Vuijk
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

The role of friends' disruptive behavior in the development of children's tobacco experimentation: results from a preventive intervention study

Pol A C van Lier et al. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2011 Jan.

Abstract

Having friends who engage in disruptive behavior in childhood may be a risk factor for childhood tobacco experimentation. This study tested the role of friends' disruptive behavior as a mediator of the effects of a classroom based intervention on children's tobacco experimentation. 433 Children (52% males) were randomly assigned to the Good Behavior Game (GBG) intervention, a universal preventive intervention targeting disruptive behavior, and facilitating positive prosocial peer interactions. Friends' disruptive behavior was assessed from age 7-10 years. Participants' experimentation with tobacco was assessed annually from age 10-13. Reduced rates in tobacco experimentation and friends' disruptive behavior were found among GBG children, as compared to controls. Support for friends' disruptive behavior as a mediator in the link between intervention status and tobacco experimentation was found. These results remained after controlling for friends' and parental smoking status, and child ADHD symptoms. The results support the role of friends' disruptive behavior in preadolescents' tobacco experimentation.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Analyses model of mediation of preferred peers’ disruptive behavior from age 7–10 and tobacco experimentation from age 10–13, while controlling for symptoms of ADHD from age 7–9 years, parental smoking and preferred peers’ tobacco experimentation. For reasons of presentation, no path estimates from higher order growth parameters to the intercept of tobacco experimentation are printed. Those paths were however tested for
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The development of preferred peers’ disruptive behavior from age 7–10 for GBG and control group children. GBG = Good Behavior Game
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Results from the mediation model of preferred peers’ disruptive behavior from age 7–10 and tobacco experimentation from age 10–13. Path estimates reflect standardized regression coefficients. For reasons of presentation, non-significant regression paths are not printed. GBG = Good Behavior Game. I = Intercept. S = Linear Slope. Q = Quadratic Slope. PPdb = Preferred Peer Disruptive Behavior. Tob = Tobacco Experimentation. * = p < 0.05. ** = p < 0.01
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