The Effect of Neighborhood Characteristics and Friends' Smoking Status on the Habitual Smoking Onset in Adolescents

Purpose: The aim of this study was threefold, to longitudinally examine the risk habitual smoking onset in adolescents, delineate effects neighborhood characteristics and friends’ status on onset, investigate whether association between moderated by characteristics. Methods: This conducted multilevel discrete-time survival analysis, using cohort data from 3rd 6th waves Korean Child Youth Panel Survey, which excluded smokers, matched with 2010 census respondents’ residence. Results: Habitual increased 8th 11th grade, then slightly decreased 12th grade. Friends’ (B = 0.60, p ＜ .001), rate 0.06, .038), number tobacco outlets 0.51, .003) were positively associated risk. Furthermore, neighborhood. Specifically, stronger neighborhoods more 0.58, .048). Conclusion: living that are susceptible increase smoking. enhances peer effect adolescent’s behavior. Therefore, policies or interventions designed reduce youth’s use should focus not only reducing smoking, but also restricting adults outlets.