The meanings of smoking among Chinese American and Taiwanese American college students

Smoking on college campuses in the United States has increased at an alarming rate since the early 1980s. Smoking rates differ according to students' culture/ethnicity and are linked to levels of acculturation. Little is known concerning the determinants of smoking in college populations. To develop effective smoking interventions targeting college smoking, an understanding of why these populations are taking up tobacco is vital. The meanings with which adolescents imbue smoking have been related to smoking behaviors in adolescent populations. Meanings of particular behaviors are strongly influenced by cultural background and acculturation. Meanings of smoking have not yet been investigated in culturally diverse college-aged populations. This in-depth qualitative investigation examined the meanings of smoking among Chinese and Taiwanese students, who are among the fastest growing populations on U.S. college campuses. These groups were selected to attempt to trace why Asian American students are at higher risk for increased smoking prevalence than any other ethnic group. Personal, functional, and socially relevant meanings emerged as powerful factors that direct smoking behaviors. Because smoking is not accepted as readily in the United States as it is in China and Taiwan, subjects reported experiencing a profound shift in social norms after immigration, which led to a change in meanings of smoking. These changes in meanings precipitated changes in smoking behavior. Smokers reported reducing tobacco use or quitting altogether. Implications of these findings as they relate to patterns of smoking in Chinese American and Taiwanese American populations are discussed.