Are the recommended taxonomies for the stages of youth smoking onset consistent with youth's perceptions of their smoking status?

BACKGROUND To examine if the recommended taxonomies for the stages of youth smoking onset are aligned with the beliefs of smoking youth. METHODS The SHAPES Tobacco Module was administered to 23,047 students (grades 9 to 13) in a convenience sample of 29 secondary schools during the 2000-2001 school year in the province of Ontario, Canada. Cross-tabs were used to compare a student's self-perceived smoking status to their smoking status as determined with the currently recommended stage taxonomies for smoking behaviour. RESULTS The majority of students classified as regular smokers (52.4%) and experimental smokers (98.9%) did not actually consider themselves to be smokers. Self-reported smoking status appeared to be relatively consistent for the never smoker and established smoker categories. CONCLUSIONS Additional research is required to develop stage taxonomies that are aligned with the self-perceptions of non-established youth smokers.