Factors predicting the first smoking behavior among young women

Abstract

The purposes of this predictive research were  to study the first smoking behavior of young women , to study the relationship between psychological, social and cultural factors and the first smoking behavior and to analyze the factors that predict the first smoking behavior of young women in Lampang Province. The sample consisted of 650 young women aged 15-19 years in Lampang Province calculated from G * power program at level α = 0.10, Power = 0.90. A multi-stage random sampling was used to recruit the sample. Data were collected by Smoking Behavior Questionnaire and Factors Related to Smoking Questionnaire. Cronbach' s Alpha coefficient was at 0.78. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and binary logistic regression. Results revealed that 1). The smoking behavior of young women was found that 81 young women, representing 12.46 percent, 72.84 percent smoked the first time over 15 years, and 4.94 percent smoked at less than 12 years. First time smokers found that 46.91 percent smoked for socializing or celebrating, 38.16 percent smoked at nighlife places, 43.21 percent smoked for the first time with their friends. 2). Predictive factors of the first smoking behavior among young women were stress management (COPING), attitude towards smoking (ATTI), family smoking (FAMILY), smoking among friends (FRIEND) and the smoking media (MEDIA) at the level of 23.2 % (R² = .232). As the results, the most predictable factor was smoking among peers, followed by attitude towards smoking, and smoking in the family. The forecasting equation was as the following; Logit(y) = 7.852+0.865(COPING) – 1.645(ATTI) + 0.985(FAMILY) + 1.822(FRIEND) + 0.768(MEDIA). Findings suggest that families, teachers and health workers should promote stress management skills, improve attitude towards smoking and motivate to avoid encountering examples and media that lead young women to smoking.