Knowledge and Attitude toward Smoking Behavior in Male Middle School Students

일부 남자 중학생의 흡연에 대한 지식 및 태도

This study was conducted to provide basic data to develop a smoking prevention and non-smoking education program. Data were collected, using a questionnaire, from 438 male middle school students living in Chunchon, Kwangwon- do. The data collection period was from September 2 to 30, 2000. The questionnaire used to measure the subjects' knowledge and attitude toward smoking was based on the guideline for the contents of tobacco smoking surveys for the general population designed by WHO. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS-Win program. The results were as follows. 1. The subjects' average score for smoking knowledge was 58.52 out of 100 points. 2. The subjects' average score for attitude toward smoking was 63.54 out of 100 points. 3. Smoking knowledge of the subjects was significantly different by their grade (F=9.187, p=.000), father's smoking behavior (t=2.261, p= .024), aware of harmfulness of smoking (F=8.911, p=.000). The subjects' attitude toward smoking was significantly different by mother's smoking behavior (t=-2.557, p=.011), brother's smoking behavior (t=-3.959, p=.000), having a smoking friend or not (t=-4.422, p=.000), subjects' smoking experience (t=-8.304, p=.000), present smoking behavior (t=7.001, p=.000), quantity of smoking (F=3.297, p= .041), abstinence period of smoking (F=3.858, p=.013), thinking about smoking behavior (F=20.999, p=.000), aware of harmfulness of smoking (F=20.964, p=.000), and amount of drinking (F=8.316, p=.000). 4. There was a significant correlation between subjects' knowledge and attitude toward smoking (r=.514, p=.000).