Factors Predicting Smoking Prevention Behavior among Male Lower Secondary School Students in Thait Suksa School, Nonthaburi Province

Abstract

        This analytical cross-sectional study aimed to study personal factors, smoking prevention behavior, self-control, perception of cigarettes, promoting smoking prevention from families and school and model influences from media and study factors predicting smoking prevention behavior among 105 male lower secondary school students in Tha-it suksa school, Nonthaburi province. Sample was collected by two-stage random sampling method. Data collection was done during November to December 2023 and data were collected by using self-administered questionnaires with Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient of 0.91. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. The result found that male lower secondary school students has behavior to prevent smoking (Mean = 3.52, S.D. = 0.75), self-control (Mean = 3.86, S.D. = 0.92), perception of cigarettes (Mean = 4.20, S.D. = 0.62), promoting smoking prevention from families (Mean = 3.96, S.D. = 0.86) and model influences from media (Mean = 3.60, S.D. = 0.56) at the high level and promoting smoking prevention from school (Mean = 0.88, S.D. = 0.21) at the low level. The result of Stepwise Multiple Linear Regression Analysis found that Self-control and model influences from media can predict smoking prevention behavior. These variables together explained 19.8% of the variance in smoking prevention behavior. Recommendations for this research would be the promoted self-control and continuously supervise student’s access to various media to strengthen good immunity and activities to promote and prevent smoking in schools should be added in addition to government policies. Parents and teachers should be good examples of not smoking for students.