Disadvantaged youth who regularly attend school and social activities are less likely to smoke than their peers, HealthDay News reported Aug. 29.

The study of 9th-grade students with grade-point averages of 3.0 and under found that smoking rates were lower among those who took part in extracurricular activities compared to teens who shared other risk factors.

"Traditionally, interventions have focused on risk reduction," said study co-author Marc Zimmerman of the University of Michigan School of Public Health. "These results tell us that instead of focusing on risk, we should be looking more toward creating opportunities for kids to take part in school and church activities to help them overcome the risks. Perhaps if we try enhancing strengths instead of fixing problems, we could have a positive effect on kids' lives."

The research was published in the online edition of the American Journal of Public Health.