The present study examined whether parenting and parental smoking can prevent children
from selecting smoking friends during adolescence. 254 Adolescents of one Belgian
secondary school participated. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed among
2nd–4th graders (mean ages ¼ 14.2–16.2 years) during spring 2006. Follow-up was conducted
12 months later. Data was analyzed conducting longitudinal social network analyses.
Results showed adolescents perceiving high parental psychological control had
a significant higher tendency to select smoking friends. Perceived behavioral control and
perceived parental support did not affect the selection of smoking friends. Furthermore,
maternal smoking behavior affected the selection of smoking friends, although no effect of
paternal smoking behavior on the selection of smoking friends was found. Adolescent
smoking prevention efforts should focus on the influence of parents through their smoking
behavior and their psychological control to decrease adolescents’ tendency to select
smoking friends resulting in fewer opportunities for negative peer influences to occur.
2013 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier
Ltd. All rights reserved.