Differences in the smoking identities of adolescent boys and girls

Objective: To assess sex-disaggregated differences in youths' characterizations of their own smoking behavior. Method: Cross-sectional data including demographics (sex, age, and grade level), perceived addiction to tobacco, Dimensions of Tobacco Dependence Scale (DTDS) scores, the Modified Fagerström Tolerance Questionnaire (M-FTQ) scores, smoking history, and self-reported smoking identity were collected from questionnaires administered to 7246 students in British Columbia, Canada. Differences in tobacco dependence by sex and by smoking identity were examined. Results: Girls were more likely to report being ex-, social, irregular, or regular smokers than were boys; and were more likely to select more than one smoking identity to describe their smoking behavior. Among the current smokers, the boys smoked more cigarettes each day, on average, and had significantly higher scores on the social and sensation dependence dimensions of the DTDS, and the M-FTQ, compared with the girls. Girls in each smoking identity group had lower scores on every tobacco dependence measure, except the emotional dependence dimension of the DTDS. Conclusion: Adolescent boys and girls appear to understand and subscribe to 'smoking identity' groups in similar patterns. However, there may be differences in the ways boys and girls conceptualize, describe, and endorse smoking identities. Researchers should examine the consistency between adolescents' smoking identities and researcher-derived categorizations of their smoking in planning and selecting appropriate interventions. Future research should explore qualitative gender differences in the smoking identities of adolescents.