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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

The role of self-control and cognitive functioning in educational inequalities in adolescent smoking and binge drinking

Authors: Lisa E. M. Davies, Mirte A. G. Kuipers, Marianne Junger, Anton E. Kunst

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

Large differences in substance use between educational levels originate at a young age, but there is limited evidence explaining these inequalities. The aim of this study was to test whether a) smoking and binge drinking are associated with lower levels of self-control and cognitive functioning, and b) associations between educational track and smoking and binge drinking, respectively, are attenuated after controlling for self-control and cognitive functioning.

Methods

This study used cross-sectional survey data of 15 to 20-year-olds (N = 191) from low, middle, and high educational tracks. We measured regular binge drinking and regular smoking (more than once a month), cognitive functioning (cognitive ability, reaction time and memory span), and self-control. Logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between educational track and smoking and binge drinking controlled for age, gender and social disadvantage, and for self-control and cognitive functioning.

Results

According to models that controlled for age, gender and social disadvantage only, respondents in the low educational track were more likely to drink heavily (OR = 3.25, 95% CI = 1.48–7.17) and smoke (OR = 5.74, 95% CI = 2.31–14.29) than adolescents in the high educational track. The association between educational track and binge drinking was hardly reduced after adjustment for self-control and cognitive ability (OR = 2.88, 95% CI = 1.09–7.62). Adjustment for self-control and cognitive functioning, especially cognitive ability, weakened the association between education and smoking (OR = 3.40, 95% CI = 1.11–10.37). However, inequalities in smoking remained significant and substantial.

Conclusions

In this study population, pre-existing variations between adolescents in terms of self-control and cognitive functioning played a minor role in educational inequalities in smoking, but not in binge drinking.
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Metadata
Title
The role of self-control and cognitive functioning in educational inequalities in adolescent smoking and binge drinking
Authors
Lisa E. M. Davies
Mirte A. G. Kuipers
Marianne Junger
Anton E. Kunst
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4753-2

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