Adolescents and Tobacco Use: Systematic Review of Qualitative Research Methodologies and Partial Synthesis of Findings

• NCJ Number: 220177
• Journal: Substance Use & Misuse Volume: 42 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2007 Pages: 1269-1321
• Author(s): Raoul A. Walsh; Flora Tzelepis
• Date Published: August 2007
• Length: 53 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: New South Wales Dept of Health; Cancer Council of NSW; University of Newcastle
• Corporate Author: Centre for Health Research & Psycho-oncology (CHeRP)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Literature Review
• Language: English
• Country: Australia

Annotation

After an overview of controls to prevent adolescent tobacco use, this article assesses the methodological features and content areas of 78 qualitative studies of adolescent smoking published in English prior to September 2002.

Abstract

The overview of controls to prevent adolescent tobacco use notes that many questions remain about policy and program effectiveness. School-based programs that provide information on the social influences that encourage tobacco use, the modeling and practice of resistance skills, and peer and parent involvement in program delivery have been recommended; however, it is unclear whether such programs have any long-term impact. Multicomponent, communitywide tobacco control programs may be effective in preventing the start of smoking, but the gains are modest. Two broad areas offer promise for improving adolescent smoking control efforts: the improved dissemination of effective programs such as state-of-the-art tobacco prevention curricula, and new research designed to evaluate improved adolescent smoking interventions. The review of 142 publications confirms that qualitative research is increasingly being used to study issues linked to adolescent smoking and that qualitative research can continue to make a substantial contribution to research on adolescent smoking. Regarding study methodologies, however, many studies failed to provide sufficient details on study sampling and subject characteristics. Also, more attention should be given to demonstrating data validity and reliability. For each publication, 29 variables were assessed. These variables were grouped into seven broad categories: study details, type of data, setting and sample, sample number and background, data-collection methods, data analysis, and main content areas. A narrative synthesis is provided for three content areas: peer influences, access/sales, and dependence/addiction issues. 4 tables, a glossary, and 167 references