Adolescents' smoking behavior and its relationships with psychological constructs based on transtheoretical model: a cross-sectional survey.
BACKGROUND
Korean adolescents' smoking is currently being considered as a crucial factor determining the health status of adolescents and an important public health and social issue.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the study was to test the applicability of the Transtheoretical model to gain an understanding of smoking behavior change.


METHODS
A total of 706 adolescents who participated in the smoking cessation programs administered by the Korea Quit Smoking Association or Korean Association of Smoking & Health in 2003 were recruited. Four Korean-version questionnaires were used to identify the stages of smoking behavior and psychological attributes: Stage of Smoking Behavior Change Scale, Processes of Change Scale for Smoking, Decision Balance Scale for Smoking, and Self-efficacy Scale to avoid smoking.


RESULTS
Korean adolescents' smoking behavior was differed according to gender. In addition, the findings revealed that behavioral and cognitive processes of change, self-efficacy, and positives differed across the stages of smoking behavior, and that psychological constructs of the transtheoretical model had a statistically significant impact on smoking behavior change.


CONCLUSIONS
This research could spawn the development of theory-based and empirically supported smoking cessation intervention strategies and programs directed toward adolescents in the health care and nursing areas.
Kim
Young-Ho
YH
Department of Sport and Leisure Studies, Seoul National University of Technology, 172 GongNeung-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-743, Korea. yk01@snut.ac.kr
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000208:ethnology / Q000379:methods; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014175:Translating