Investigating Social Proliferation in Korean College Students' Smoking Perceptions and Behaviors

The present study investigated the processes of social proliferation in Korean college students' smoking perceptions and behaviors. Using cross-sectional survey data (N = 208), the study tested associations between smoking status of friends, frequency and contents of communication about smoking and Korean college students' smoking perceptions and behaviors. The results showed that college students with smoking friends were significantly higher on pro-smoking cultural norms, pro-smoking subjective norms, and positive attitude toward smoking than students with nonsmoking friends. Effects of frequency, negative evaluation of communication about smoking, and contents of communication about smoking differed between smoking friends and nonsmoking friends.