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. 2024 Feb 15:22.
doi: 10.18332/tid/177171. eCollection 2024.

School climate and school identification as determinants of smoking conventional cigarettes or vaping among adolescents in China: Stress-coping mediation mechanisms

Yanqiu Yu  1 , Mengni Du  2 , Deborah Baofeng Wang  3 , Anise M S Wu  4   5 , Juliet H Chen  6 , Siman Li  1 , Stefanie H Y Yen  7 , Guohua Zhang  8 , Dajin Du  3 , Mingxuan Du  8 , Joseph T F Lau  3   9
Affiliations

School climate and school identification as determinants of smoking conventional cigarettes or vaping among adolescents in China: Stress-coping mediation mechanisms

Yanqiu Yu et al. Tob Induc Dis. .

Abstract

Introduction: Smoking conventional cigarettes or vaping (SV) poses significant health threats to adolescents. School climate and school identification are key elements of the school environment and potential factors of SV. Based on the Stress Coping Theory, the mediations between school climate/school identification and SV, via perceived stress/active coping, were examined.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among secondary school students from February to March 2022 in Taizhou, China. Structural equation modeling was used.

Results: The prevalence of SV among the 7526 participants was 4.7% (singular use of conventional cigarettes: 3.2%; singular use of electronic cigarettes: 3.6%; dual use: 2.1%). School climate, school identification, and active coping were positively, and perceived stress (family stress, academic stress, and peer-related stress) were negatively associated with SV. The association between school climate and SV was fully mediated via: 1) school climate → perceived stress → SV; 2) school climate → active coping → SV; and 3) school climate → perceived stress → active coping → SV. The effect sizes were 52.1%, 43.8%, and 6.3%, respectively. Similar partial mediation mechanisms were found between school identification and SV, with relatively small effect sizes (<10%).

Conclusions: This study observed the prevalence of SV among Chinese secondary school students. School climate and school identification had both significant direct and indirect (via perceived stress/active coping) effects on SV. Positive school environments may reduce students' stress and promote active coping. The stress coping mechanisms explained the association between school climate and SV better than between school identification and SV.

Keywords: Stress Coping Theory; adolescents; school climate; school identification; smoking; vaping.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest and none was reported.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Structural equation modeling. Rectangles represent observed variables, ovals represent latent variables, arrows represent the directions of the associations, and straight lines with coefficients represent the standardized path coefficients
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