Effects of a cigarette smoking prevention program among junior high school students in north-east Thailand: a pilot survey.

OBJECTIVE Evaluate the implementation of a smoking prevention program via a questionnaire. Both knowledge and attitudes toward smoking behavior and smoking cessation were also investigated MATERIAL AND METHOD An experimental study was conducted between October 2011 and July 2012. Two hundred twenty six school students from Mathayom 1 to 6 participated into the present study. They were divided into either a study group (n = 99) or a control group (n = 127). Participants in the study group underwent two days of a smoking prevention program and the control group was not subjected to this program. Both groups completed a questionnaire containing questions related to the knowledge of the dangers of cigarette, attitudes toward smoking behavior, and smoking cessation at three different stages, pre-program, immediate post-program, and one month post-program. All data was analyzed via statistical methods. RESULTS Participants in the study group were smokers and non-smokers, aged between 13 and 15, studied in Mathayom 1 to 6. It was reported that 75% of smokers had tried to quit smoking at least once. For those who quit smoking successfully, 83.6% sought advice from their families. Regarding knowledge related to the dangers of cigarettes, the study group had significantly higher scores than the control group at the three different stages (pre-program, immediate post-program, and one month post-program p = 0.001, 0.001, and 0.024 respectively). The attitudes toward smoking cessation behavior between the groups were significantly different at the three different stages (p = 0.03, 0.01, and 0.001 respectively). The influential factor significantly related to decision-making related to quitting cigarettes was advice, especially from friends andfamilies (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION School students aged between 13 to 15 years of age studying in Mathayom 3 (grade 9) represented the majority of smokers. The study found the smoking cessation prevention program was able to improve knowledge of the dangers of cigarettes. After the completion of the program, the effect offactors on their lives such as medical conditions, social norms, andfriends and families made smokers realize the importance of quitting smoking.