Impact of extra-curricular activities on adolescents' connectedness and cigarette smoking: final report

In Australia, cigarette smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death and yet in the past 10 years, despite efforts that have been made in the classroom and through the media, there have been limited reductions in adolescent smoking. The Extra-curricular Project builds on the work of two other projects conducted by researchers from the Child Health Promotion Research Centre (CHPRC). The Smoking Cessation for Youth Project (SCYP), conducted by the Western Australian Centre for Health Promotion Research, led to the identification of connectedness as a key mediator of cigarette smoking. The role of extra-curricular activities in mediating school connectedness was explored in the subsequent formative evaluation (conducted by the CHPRC) which was used to inform the Extra-curricular Project, and identified a range of benefits for students who participate in extracurricular activities through increasing school connectedness.