DOI: 10.3886/icpsr09786.v1
title: Teenage Attitudes and Practices Survey, 1989: [United States]
title: Version 1

description: In this follow-up to the National Health Interview Survey 
 (NHIS), teenagers were interviewed to obtain information on tobacco 
 use, including measures of prevalence, knowledge and attitudes, and 
 predictors of taking up smoking. Respondents were asked if they smoked 
 or used chewing tobacco or snuff, or had in the past. If so, they were 
 questioned as to when they started, how much they smoked, chewed, or 
 snuffed during the last month, where they bought cigarettes, which 
 brand of cigarettes, chewing tobacco, or snuff they usually bought, how 
 many times they tried to stop these habits, and what was the longest 
 time they stopped smoking cigarettes since they started smoking 
 regularly. Nonsmokers were asked if they thought they might start 
 smoking, if they had experimented with cigarette smoking, if they had 
 ever been offered a cigarette, and how difficult it would be to obtain 
 tobacco if they wanted to. The survey asked respondents if any of their 
 household members, teachers, or friends smoked, if they had heard 
 anything about the health risks of tobacco use on television, radio, or 
 in newspapers or magazines, and if they believed that chewing tobacco 
 or using snuff causes cancer. Attitudes toward tobacco use were also 
 probed with questions such as whether respondents disliked being around 
 people who smoked, whether they believed it was safe to smoke for only 
 a year or two, if they preferred to date people who didn't smoke, if 
 they thought they could stop smoking any time they wanted to, whether 
 they thought their friends approved or disapproved of their smoking, 
 chewing, or snuffing, and if they thought their parents would mind if 
 they smoked when they were older. Respondents were also asked if they 
 believed there was any harm in having an occasional cigarette, and if 
 they believed smoking helps people to relax, to keep down their weight, 
 and to reduce boredom and stress. In addition to questions about 
 tobacco use, the survey queried respondents about their attitudes 
 regarding seat belts, fitness, alcohol, marijuana, drugs in general, 
 school, and diet. They were also asked whether, during the last year, 
 they had been in an accident or physical fight, had been in a car with 
 a drunk driver, or had ridden on a motorcycle, and how often they had 
 trouble going to sleep, felt unhappy or depressed, felt hopeless about 
 the future, felt nervous or tense, or worried too much. Demographic and 
 socioeconomic information provided in the data file includes 
 respondents' race, education, and geographic region, reference persons' 
 race, education, occupation, and marital status, presence of parent(s) 
 or other adult relative in household, family income, and education of 
the adult.
description: A sample of 12,097 teenagers was drawn from the last two 
 quarters of the 1988 NHIS and the first two quarters of the 1989 NHIS. 
 NHIS households were selected by stratified multistage probability area 
sampling.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: Data File
DS2: SAS Control Cards
DS4: August 1992 Errata
description: Civilian noninstitutionalized teenagers, aged 12-18, 
residing in the United States.
description: Per agreement with NCHS, ICPSR distributes the data 
 file(s) and technical documentation in this collection in their 
original form as prepared by NCHS.