Abstract
The present study is one of the first to analyze the predictive capacity of both trait and ability Emotional Intelligence (EI) based on the Mayer and Salovey model, in relation to tobacco use in a sample of Spanish adolescents. In this study, 799 students between the ages of 12 and 16 participated. A self-report on trait EI, an EI peak performance test, and questions about habits relating to tobacco use were administered. This cross-sectional study developed a quantitative and correlation-type methodology. The main results of the regression analyses, once the sex and age of the participants were controlled, revealed negative associations between the factors of clarity and emotional repair of the trait EI with respect to the variables of tobacco use, and a positive association was found for them and emotional attention. By comparison, with respect to ability EI, emotional perception and understanding were inversely related to adolescent tobacco use. These results underscore the importance of EI skills as protective factors against early initiation and subsequent tobacco abuse.
Highlights
As reported by international bodies, tobacco use is currently one of the greatest public health problems [1]
Given current concerns regarding the adverse effects of tobacco during vulnerable periods such as adolescence, this paper aims to analyze the relationship between the dimensions of trait Emotional Intelligence (EI) and ability across various variables of use in students aged 12 to 16 years
The data obtained in this research support the idea that lower levels of EI are related to a higher probability and frequency of tobacco use, as well as a higher quantity and use when offered by friends
Summary
As reported by international bodies, tobacco use is currently one of the greatest public health problems [1]. According to a recent study [2], the rate of smoking remains high among adolescents and, in recent years, the number of new smokers among the youth that are not yet of age (11–15 years) has increased. According to data from the latest Spanish Survey on Drug Use among Secondary Students [4], tobacco is the second most widely used drug among adolescents aged 14 to 18 after alcohol. Forty-one percent said they had smoked at some point, 27% in the last month, and of these, about one third (9.8%) were daily users. The average age of onset is around 14 years, with comparable levels of use among men and women, and increasing progressively with age
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