(Applicant?s Abstract): The number of young adults who smoke is steadily increasing. In 1993 25 percent of young adults between the ages of 18-24 years were smokers. Previous research had identified a number of factors which may be associated with smoking initiation, including perceived stress (Cohen & Lichtenstein, 1990), social support (Cohen & Wills, 1985), self-esteem (Shedler & Block, 1990), psychological adjustment (Romans & colleagues, 1993; Glassman, 1993; Shiffman, 1985; Stone, Dembroski, Costa & MacDougall, 1990; Cinciripini, Nezami, & Mace, 1989; Emmons, Weidner & Collins, 1989). The goal of this project is to outline a model that researchers could use to predict smoking initiation in young adults. This study will examine the association among stress reactivity, coping styles, psychological adjustment and smoking in young adults in order to better understand factors associated with greatest risk for beginning to smoke. Four hundred African American and Caucasian young adults between 18-20 years will be exposed to two psychological stressors while recordings of heart rate and blood pressure are taken. Participants will complete numerous measures of coping and psychological adjustment. Statistical analyses will include discriminant analyses and multivariate repeated measures of analysis of variance to assess hypotheses predicting poorer coping poorer psychological adjustment, and greater cardiovascular reactivity to stress among smokers. Clarifying the relationships among factors associated with smoking initiation in young people will assist in identifying individuals at risk for smoking.
