Snus user identity and addiction. A Swedish focus group study on adolescents
Edvardsson, Ingrid LU ; Troein, Margareta LU
; Ejlertsson, Goran
and Lendahls, Lena
(2012)
In BMC Public Health
12(975).
- Abstract
- Background: The teenage years are the years when adolescents seek their identity, and part of this involves experimenting with tobacco. The use of tobacco as such, and norms among their friends, is more important to the adolescents than the norms of parents when it comes to using tobacco or not. The aim was to explore the significance of using snus for adolescents, and attitudes to snus, as well as the reasons why they began using snus and what maintained and facilitated the use of snus. Methods: Adolescents who use snus were interviewed in focus groups. The material was analysed using content analysis. Results: Four groups of boys and one group of girls were interviewed, a total of 27 students from the upper secondary vocational program.... (More)
- Background: The teenage years are the years when adolescents seek their identity, and part of this involves experimenting with tobacco. The use of tobacco as such, and norms among their friends, is more important to the adolescents than the norms of parents when it comes to using tobacco or not. The aim was to explore the significance of using snus for adolescents, and attitudes to snus, as well as the reasons why they began using snus and what maintained and facilitated the use of snus. Methods: Adolescents who use snus were interviewed in focus groups. The material was analysed using content analysis. Results: Four groups of boys and one group of girls were interviewed, a total of 27 students from the upper secondary vocational program. Three themes related to the students' opinions on and experiences of using snus were found: Circumstances pertaining to snus debut indicate what makes them start using snus. Upholding, which focuses on the problem of becoming addicted and development of identity, and approach, where the adolescents reflect on their snus habits in relation to those around them. A number of factors were described as relevant to behaviour and norm building for the development into becoming a snus user. Attitudes and actions from adults and friends as well as - for the boys - development of an identity as a man and a craftsman influenced behaviour. Conclusions: The results showed that development of identity was of major importance when adolescents start using snus. The adolescents were initially unable to interpret the early symptoms of abstinence problems, but subsequently became well aware of being addicted. Once they were stuck in addiction and in the creation of an image and identity, it was difficult to stop using snus. These factors are important when considering interventions of normative changes and tobacco prevention in schools as well as among parents. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/3372819
- author
- Edvardsson, Ingrid
LU
; Troein, Margareta
LU
; Ejlertsson, Goran
and Lendahls, Lena
- organization
- publishing date
- 2012
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Adolescents, Addiction, Content analysis, Focus group, Snus user, Identity
- in
- BMC Public Health
- volume
- 12
- issue
- 975
- publisher
- BioMed Central (BMC)
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000311959900001
- scopus:84868644576
- pmid:23148521
- ISSN
- 1471-2458
- DOI
- 10.1186/1471-2458-12-975
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- a7718d59-0833-438f-bd08-d2527dceba44 (old id 3372819)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 13:02:13
- date last changed
- 2022-01-27 08:57:10
@article{a7718d59-0833-438f-bd08-d2527dceba44,
abstract = {{Background: The teenage years are the years when adolescents seek their identity, and part of this involves experimenting with tobacco. The use of tobacco as such, and norms among their friends, is more important to the adolescents than the norms of parents when it comes to using tobacco or not. The aim was to explore the significance of using snus for adolescents, and attitudes to snus, as well as the reasons why they began using snus and what maintained and facilitated the use of snus. Methods: Adolescents who use snus were interviewed in focus groups. The material was analysed using content analysis. Results: Four groups of boys and one group of girls were interviewed, a total of 27 students from the upper secondary vocational program. Three themes related to the students' opinions on and experiences of using snus were found: Circumstances pertaining to snus debut indicate what makes them start using snus. Upholding, which focuses on the problem of becoming addicted and development of identity, and approach, where the adolescents reflect on their snus habits in relation to those around them. A number of factors were described as relevant to behaviour and norm building for the development into becoming a snus user. Attitudes and actions from adults and friends as well as - for the boys - development of an identity as a man and a craftsman influenced behaviour. Conclusions: The results showed that development of identity was of major importance when adolescents start using snus. The adolescents were initially unable to interpret the early symptoms of abstinence problems, but subsequently became well aware of being addicted. Once they were stuck in addiction and in the creation of an image and identity, it was difficult to stop using snus. These factors are important when considering interventions of normative changes and tobacco prevention in schools as well as among parents.}},
author = {{Edvardsson, Ingrid and Troein, Margareta and Ejlertsson, Goran and Lendahls, Lena}},
issn = {{1471-2458}},
keywords = {{Adolescents; Addiction; Content analysis; Focus group; Snus user; Identity}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{975}},
publisher = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
series = {{BMC Public Health}},
title = {{Snus user identity and addiction. A Swedish focus group study on adolescents}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3122379/3910939.pdf}},
doi = {{10.1186/1471-2458-12-975}},
volume = {{12}},
year = {{2012}},
}