Objectives: Although several theories suggest that perception of the risks of smoking motivate individuals to adopt or maintain non-smoking status, the research literature has generally failed to demonstrate the relationships between perceived benefits and smoking behavior among adolescents. This study intends to examine the relationship between the perceived risks and benefits about smoking and adolescents' smoking behavior.
Methods: A cohort of school students in the City of Taipei were asked to complete a set of survey questions regarding the risks, benefits, and smoking behavior. Survey consisted of demographic information, knowledge about smoking, perception of smoking, and smoking experience. Smoking experience was defined as whether they smoked more than 20 cigarettes during the lifetime. Logistic regression was performed to examine the relationships of smoking and perceived risks and benefits.
Results. The prevalence rate of smoking is 9.4%. The result shows that participants do have great knowledge about the physiological consequences of smoking, with mean score 13.2 out of 15. The results from logistic regression indicate that perceived social benefits, such as easier to make friends and attractive to opposite sex, was the most significant predictor of smoking experience after controlling for gender and knowledge. Perceived benefits and risks of smoking were also significant predictors of smoking experience.
Conclusions. The findings indicate that prevention and intervention programs targeting adolescents in Taiwan may have to add contents that address the perceived attitudes about smoking, especially the perceived benefits of getting cool, more attractive, and easier to have friends.
Learning Objectives: Learning Objectives: 1. identify the level of knowledge about smoking among adolescents 2. recognize the relationship between perceived benefits of smoking and smoking experience
Keywords: Adolescents, Smoking
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.