Abstract

The study purpose was to investigate psychosocial factors related to smoking among adolescent boys. The Theory of Planned Behavior provide the basis for the study. Twenty-five attitudinal beliefs, 9 normative beliefs and 20control beliefs were identified through questionnaire development. The data were analyzed using t-test and chi2-test. Thirty-three percent of 300 students were smokers. Most of the beliefs examined were significantly different between smokers(n=92) and nonsmokers(n=92). With respect to attitudinal beliefs, smokers responded less negatively on the items of bad health effects of smoking such as sore throat, headache, chest pain, risk of cancer and bad blood circulation(p<0.001), and decreased physical strength(p<0.05). Smokers believed less negatively on the items that smoking leads to bothering others, bad breath, yellow teeth and making them spend money(p<0.001). In contrast, smokers felt more positively on smoking as a means of stress management, relaxing, helping digestion(P<0.001). Smokers felt less pressure for not smoking from significant others. Especially mother, siblings, friends, girl friends, seniors of school were important sources of influence regarding subject's smoking. Smokers felt less confident in controlling the urge to smoke in several situations including; when they were with friends or asked to smoke by friends; after the meal, or drinking; when they were bored or stressed, upset, and when they felt unstable(p<0.001). Smokers also scored lower on specific skills to quit or control the urge to smoke as well as overall perceived control, compared to nonsmokers(p<0.001). These results suggest that interventions for adolescents incorporate diverse strategies to increase the perceived control over smoking in specific situations as well as overall perceived control, to help them realize and modify attitudinal beliefs, and to elicit support from significant others for not smoking.

• Keywords: aldolescent smoking; psychosocial factors; beliefs; perceived control; Theory of planned Behavior