Abstract:
The current young women become the new customers of tobacco company significantly and unavoidably so that Thai society must hurry up to seek for the protective measures of young women away from smoking. The cross-sectional survey emphasized to study in young women students of educational institute during the 2'd semester of academic year 2007. The objectives of this survey were to explore smoking behavior of young women; to study relationship between educational level and smoking behavior, knowledge regarding cigarette harm, opinion toward tobacco control policy and related factors; to study relationship between smoking behavior and related factors; and to analyze the predictive factors of smoking behavior among young women. The target group were 3,000 young women students who were 13-24 years old and were divided into 3 groups according to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Thai educational system; the aged 13-15 years equal to the secondary school (mathayom 1-3), the aged 16-19 years equal to high school (mathayom 4-6) and the aged 20-24 years equal to the university students. The sample selection classified by the geographical areas; Bangkok and peripheral provinces and other provinces; and educational level. The quantitative data were collected by questionnaire and the qualitative data by the focus group discussion technique. The quantitative data was analyzed by computing descriptive and analytical statistics whereas Chi-square test and Odd Ratios were used. For the qualitative data, the content analysis and data classification were used. The 3,093 questionnaires were completed by the women students aged between 13-25 years. The results showed the prevalence of smoking during the past 30 days and 7 days were 6.4% and 5.8% orderly. The highest percentage of smoking was found among the university students. The age of first cigarette smoking was 14 years and higher (68.6%) and the lowest age of smoking initiation was 12 years (10.2%). The highest reason of smoking was doing what the guys can do and to be accepted by group at 32.0%. The cigarettes usually got from buying by themselves 53.8% and from friends 28.4%. About 5 in 10 of young women students got the secondhand smoke in their homes which were from their fathers and older brothers. The most of them nearly 80% negatively opined to the smoking. The young women students' opinion toward smoking should be more concern because about 6 in 10 accepted that smoking was approved in Thai society and 3 in 10 accepted that smoking was not disgusting. Besides young women students had had high knowledge regarding the diseases related to smoking and exposure to the second hand smoke, especially the cancer which found more than 90%. For information access for not smoking, nearly 9 in 10 had ever accessed which the highest access was from TV 74.8% and pictorial health warning on the packets 66.3%. Whereas about 9 in 10 also had ever seen smoking in TV/VDO/movies and 8 in 10 agreed with banning smoking scenes in TV programs and movies. For cigarette advertisement and promotion, the women students nearly 4 in 10 had ever seen which 1 in 2 saw at the convenience store and 3 in 10 in TV. More than 80% of young women students agreed with 100% smoke free environment policy in religious place, educational places and hospitals. 1 in 2 opined that the law enforcement were not effective such as 83.8% agreed with the pictorial health warning on the packets but 56.9% not sure and not believe in its effectiveness. The same as the banning sale to minor under 18 years which found that 74% also not sure and not believe in its effectives. The cooperate social responsibility of tobacco industry was the worried issue because 8 in 10 agreed with supporting and sponsorships of cigarette company to the poor and about 6 in 10 perceived well that cigarette company targeted to smoking promotion to the young women. The results also showed that the young women students who studied in the different level and differently had smoking behaviors had relationship significantly with these following factors; prevalence of smoking, initiated age of smoking, smoking quantity and frequency, attempt to quit, smoking context such as place of smoking, smoking frequency with parent, intention to smoke when friend persuaded, the source of cigarette, smoking of parent and close friends, exposure to secondhand smoke in home, knowledge regarding some diseases and health problems from smoking and secondhand smoke, opinion regarding smoking, viewing information of no-smoking in some media, perception and opinion toward pictorial health warning, seeing the cigarette advertisement and promotion in various form and viewing some stimulating media, sports and racings, seeing smoking in TV scenes and smoking of favorite superstar, opinion toward smoking in home, opinion toward smoke free environment policy in some places such as hospital, workplaces, air-conditioned restaurant, religious place, pub and bar and educational premises, opinion on the effectiveness of law enforcement such as smoke free environment policy, pictorial health warning, banning advertising at the point of sale, banning sale to minor under 18 years and banning cigarette advertising and promotion, opinion toward light and mild cigarette and opinion toward tobacco company. The predictive factors of young women smokers were found that the highest influent factor was having close friends smoked cigarette had chance to smoke more than another group for 18 times. Followed by the positive opinion on smoking had chance to smoke more than another group for 7.5 times. Besides, 3 factors of belief and value which were composed of being modern with smoking, the approve of young women smoking in Thai society and the acceptance of young women smoking and those had chance for 4 times. Interestingly, mother smoking had chance for 3.7 times. To protect and solve the smoking problems of young women, this study recommends Ministry of Public Health, who has role to regulate and enforce law, should use the public policy for reducing the demand and supply. Reducing demand with enforcing law of banning sale to minors under 18 years strictly and reducing supply with arresting the smuggling and any form of illicit trade and including the tobacco consumption surveillance according to WHO-FCTC on behalf of the member country. Ministry of Education who directly responses to the young women students, should strictly implement the "Smoke-Free School Policy" and cooperates with either public or private organizations to active implement to protect and control young women smoking. For the furthering research, the action research for helping the young women smokers quit smoking and the development of the program for protecting the young women from smoking should be initiated.
TRC Data Center