title: The effect of preventive educational program in cigarette smoking: Extended Parallel Process Model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cigarette smoking is one of the preventable causes of diseases and deaths. The most important preventive measure is technique to resist against peer pressure. Any educational program should design with an emphasis upon theories of behavioral change and based on effective educational program. To investigate the interventions through educational program in prevention of cigarette smoking, this paper has used the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a quasi-experimental study. Two middle schools were randomly selected from male students in Shiraz. Therefore, we randomly selected 120 students for the experimental group and 120 students for the control group. After diagnostic evaluation, educational interventions on the consequences of smoking and preventive skills were applied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results indicated that there was a significant difference between students in the control and experimental groups in the means of perceived susceptibility (P < 0.000, t = 6.84), perceived severity (P < 0.000, t = -11.46), perceived response efficacy (P < 0.000, t = -7.07), perceived self-efficacy (P < 0.000, t = -11.64), and preventive behavior (P < 0.000, t = -24.36).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EPPM along with educating skills necessary to resist against peer pressure had significant level of efficiency in improving preventive behavior of cigarette smoking among adolescents. However, this study recommends further studies on ways of increasing perceived susceptibility in cigarette smoking among adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Health, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
authors.forename: Zabihollah
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gharlipour
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Mohammad Mehdi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hazavehei
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moeini
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nazari
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, School of Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas Moghim
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Beigi
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Elahe
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tavassoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Akbar Babaei
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Heydarabadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Health, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahnoush
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reisi
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Barkati
keywords: Cigarette smoking; extended parallel process model; health education; students