| Abstract
Background: Optimism is known to be associated with many health behaviors. However, the
associations between optimism, tobacco smoking and substance abuse in adolescents are
not well documented. This study aimed to address this research gap in a large school-based
population.
Methods: Participants (N = 1104) were selected based on multi-stage cluster sampling method.
Cigarette and hookah smoking behaviors, illicit drug use, optimism, and relevant covariates
were measured using a validated questionnaire. Data were analyzed using ordinal logistic
regression.
Results: After adjustment, higher optimism score was a protective factor against being situated
in advanced stages of cigarette smoking (odds ratio [OR] = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.84-0.91), hookah
smoking (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.88-0.94), and illicit drugs usage (OR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.85-
0.95). Moreover, the results showed that negative-stability and negative-globality domains of
optimism were significantly higher among advanced-stage smokers and illicit drug users.
Conclusion: Optimism was found to be a protective factor against tobacco smoking and
substance abuse; whereas pessimism (negative-stability and negative-globality) was found to
be a determinant factor. Further research is needed to investigate the effects of optimism on the
transition in cigarette and hookah smoking stages. |