| Abstract: | Background and purpose: Nowadays the health hazards of smoking has been confirmed in many studies. Various tobacco control measures have continued to increase worldwide. However, the proportion of the world's smoking population still remains high. Smoking population becomes younger in average age and a certain proportion of younger teenagers continue to smoke make us worry.
According to the junior high school students smoking behavior survey conducted by Bureau of Health Promotion, the smoking prevalence rate of this population had increased from 6.53%(males 8.5%, females 4.2%) in 2004 to 7.5%(male 9.64%,female 4.69%) in 2006. When it comes to the experience of smoking initiation among junior high school students, 27.18% in 2006(male 31.39%, female 21.96%) also edged slightly upward trend, compared to 27.04% in 2004 (male 31.49%,
female 22.01%).Furthermore, more than 30% smokers ignited their first cigarettes before the age of 10 in both years (36.57% in 2006, 38.94% in 2004).At present, the research of Hsiu-Yueh Cheng indicates that tobacco control for adult smokers is through clinic nicotine replacement therapy which leads to the smoking cessation success rate of 85.7% and sustainable rate of 47.3%. For youth tobacco control, researches have emphasized more on how to prevent the youth from smoking and how to motivate young smokers to quit. Nevertheless, how to maintain the smoking cessation behavior of the youth is not well known. Therefore, this study will examine the determinants of smoking cessation sustainability among formerly smoking junior high school students in Taiwan.
Methods: Derived from the database of the junior high school students smoking behavior survey in 2006 conducted by Bureau of Health Promotion, 3489 junior high school students are analyzed. Referencing to "Theory of triadic Influence" as the analytical framework, this study used statistical software SPSS12.0 for
chi-square test and hierarchical logistic regression analysis to explain continuous abstinence behavior of junior-high-school smokers on the individual level, family and friend levels, school and community levels.
The results: For formerly smoking junior high school students whose smoking cessation sustainability more than one year, influencing factors in individual perspectives were "high self-efficacy" (OR =2.007), "low addiction level" (OR = 1.962), "attitude toward smoking free policy in campus " (OR = 1.693), "high conscious of social relations" (OR = 1.649), "self-perceived fewer friends for smokers" (OR = 1.309). Factors in friends and family perspective were "refusing cigarettes from good friends" (OR = 3.838), "parents do not smoke" (OR = 1.308). Factors in the school and community perspective was "No exposure to second-hand smoke in campus" (OR = 1.228).
Conclusions and recommendations: Based on our findings, the strategies that Encourage formerly smoking junior high school students to maintain smoking free are as follows: At individual level, we recommend students to reinforce their self-efficacy capability and find ways to decrease the dependency of nicotine addiction. At family and friend level, we recommend students to manage the relationship with smoking peers as well as win the support of non-smoking peers. Meanwhile, it is necessary to propagandize "Smoking free in Family" as a campaign issue. At school and community level, we are looking forward the proper
implementation on anti-smoking policy on campus, and multiple services of smoking cessation counseling. |
