Gender-based Differences in Associations between Attitude and Self-esteem with Smoking Behavior among Adolescents: A Secondary Analysis Applying Bayesian Nonparametric Functional Latent Variable Model

Background: different patterns of gender-based relationships between attitude toward smoking and self-esteem with smoking behavior have reported. however, such associations may be much more complex than a simply supposed linear relationship. we aimed to propose a method of providing hand details on the total and gender-based scenarios of the relationships between attitude toward smoking and self-esteem with smoking. materials and methods: a secondary analysis conducted on a data set obtained for a cross-sectional study among 4,905 male and female high school students in tabriz, iran (2012). we randomly selected 196 classes in a clustering process and invited all the students in the classes to participate in the study; then, investigated the relationship between smoking with attitude and self-esteem, as explanatory variables. we also found the data to fit a nonlinear functional relationship and to be free from normal condition due to applying bayesian nonparametric functional latent variable model. results: among all the students, attitude was found as the only variable with conceptual effect on smoking (p<0.05). among boys, self-esteem showed no conceptual effect on smoking which was in contrast to those found among girls. smoking among male students with low self-esteem was high, but it was gradually decreasing by rising self-esteem. among girls, in contrast, smoking was descending by decreasing self-esteem. conclusion: the relationships between self-esteem and attitude with smoking may not be necessarily linear. being at the high levels of self-esteem among boys may lead to the reduced levels of smoking, and among girls may result in the increased level of the behavior.