PERSONALITY DIMENSIONS, SENSE OF COHERENCE AND SELF-ESTEEM AS RISK/PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR SMOKING AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

The effect of personality (extraversion, neuroticism, psychotics), self-esteem and sense of coherence on smoking among university students (n = 830, mean age 20.5 years, data collected in 2004, Slovakia) was explored using logistic regression separately among males and females. Higher extraversion plus, among females, higher negative self-esteem and lower meaningfulness, increase the probability of being a smoker. It is important to take into account the different function of personality in health promotion. In this case extraversion and negative self-esteem seem to be the risk factors, while meaningfulness seems to be a protective factor with regard to smoking.