Effect of School Based Health Education Activities for New Smoker’s Protection

Abstract

This quasi-experimental research in form of evaluation design aimed to assess the
effects of school based health education activities for new smoker’s protection on
knowledge, fear, attitude and intention not to smoke among primary and secondary
students. And it included studying factors relating to no-smoking intention. The population
were 16,926 students in implementing area of community based intervention project for
tobacco control in Nakornrachasima and Chiengrai province and samples were 866
students (666 students from Chiengrai and 200 from Nakornrachasima), composed of 421
students from primary level and 445 students from secondary level, who participated in
health education activities and volunteer to answer questionnaires. Chi-square was use to
analyze association between independent variables and no-smoking intention. The results
showed that 11.6% of students have ever tried smoking cigarette. After participating in
health education activities, students have increased knowledge (50.1%), fear of cigarettes
harm (65.7%) and negative attitude to smoking (65.0%). Moreover, the findings showed that
sex, educational level, and smoking behavior have association respectively with
knowledge, fear, attitude and no-smoking intention (p<0.05) so that health education
activities using fear arousal have effects on students’ behavior, especially for no-smoking
intention and is an effective method for new smokers’ protection.