The development of smoking behaviour among schoolchildren : with special reference to school effects and transfer to secondary education

Smoking remains the most important cause of preventable death and ill-health in Britain. It is a behaviour which has its roots in childhood and adolescence and working with children in schools offers great scope for effective action to reduce smoking prevalence. This study examines the development of smoking behaviour across a critical period of transition between primary and secondary education, and identifies some of the important influences on the development of the habit. The study comprises of three linked elements. The first consists of results from a questionnaire survey of 4000 schoolchildren from three different school systems. These show the apparent impact of transfer to secondary education on the development of the habit, indicating that the secondary school experience may have an effect on smoking behaviour independent of age and other important influences. A second, parallel questionnaire survey of teachers' smoking behaviour and attitudes to smoking provides evidence of a more relaxed attitude towards smoking in secondary schools which may help to explain the observations from the children's survey. The third element, a series of semi-structured interviews with fifty of the pupils from the original survey, examined children's opinions on smoking. These interviews provided important insight into children's smoking behaviour, indicating that many of the factors which influence children, such as social pressures and low self esteem, can be addressed through school education. From these results a model for smoking education in schools is proposed. This emphasises the need for a phasing of smoking education throughout primary and secondary school - the timing of various elements determined by critical stages in the development of the habit. The need to focus on personal and social skill development as well as knowledge-based programmes is also stressed. Finally, the need for improved in-service education, and additional resources for health education are considered, together with the type of practical support required from Local Education Authorities, and individual schools and teachers. (DX83502)