The Prospective Association of Youth Assets with Tobacco Use in Young Adulthood

Background: Youth assets protect adolescents from tobacco use, but their influence in young adulthood is unknown. Purpose: To determine the prospective influence of assets possessed in young adulthood with tobacco use the following year. Methods: Data from waves 4 and 5 from the Youth Asset Study (n = 450, ages 18-22 at wave 5) were used. Logistic regression was used to prospectively examine associations between 10 wave 4 assets with wave 5 tobacco use by gender. Results: Parental monitoring was significantly associated with wave 5 tobacco use in the youngest group of males (odds ratio [OR] = 10.00). The non-parental adult role model (OR = 2.57) and general self-confidence (OR = 2.41) assets were significantly associated with wave 5 tobacco use in females. Family communication (OR = 5.77) was significantly associated with wave 5 tobacco use for the oldest females, and positive peer role models (OR = 2.83) only for females in 2-parent homes. Discussion: Youth assets continue to positively influence health behavior decisions in emerging adulthood, but males and females also benefit from different assets. Translation to Health Education Practice: Understanding how youth assets impact tobacco use in young adults could lead to more effective tobacco use prevention programs and indicate where future efforts should be focused.