Smoking and personality predictors in young Spanish people

The influence of personality on age at smoking initiation, daily cigarette consumption and tobacco dependence was assessed in a sample of adolescents. Personality traits were evaluated by the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire—Junior at the age of 11 and 12 and smoking habits were reported at 18. Psychoticism was the most closely related to smoking. Any previous personality characteristic accounted for 6.2% of the quantity of cigarettes used. Other predictors such as environmental, biological and psychopathological factors could contribute to the initiation and maintenance of smoking habits.