Structural model of factors influencing smoking behavior among Korean-Chinese adolescent boys.

AIM: The aim of this study is to develop and test structural equation model to explore factors influencing smoking behavior among Korean-Chinese adolescent boys. METHODS: Participants were recruited from six middle schools in China (N=768). Self-administered questionnaire included: (1) demographic information, (2) smoking behavior, and (3) individual factor (i.e., life satisfaction, future orientedness, stress), familial factor (i.e., relationship with parents, family life, socioeconomic status), environmental factor (i.e., father's smoking, friends' smoking, anti-smoking environment), and Intention Refusal Self-efficacy. AMOS analyses were used to evaluate the proposed model. RESULTS: The model was a good fit for the data. Intention Refusal Self-efficacy significantly influenced smoking behavior. The model explained 52% of the variance in smoking behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking behavior is significantly related with factors of intention to smoke, refusal skill, self-efficacy, friends' and father's smoking, and anti-smoking environment. Targeting these issues might be useful when developing strategies for smoking prevention programs.

Smoking in korean-chinese middle school students: prevalence and risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking is rising among Chinese adolescents, and adolescent smoking is a crucial public health issue. Despite the number of studies that have explored the prevalence and various aspects of adolescent smoking in China, we know of no data currently available on smoking behavior among Korean-Chinese adolescents. PURPOSE: This article studies the prevalence of smoking and factors affecting smoking behavior among Korean-Chinese adolescents. METHODS: Data were collected from six Korean-Chinese middle schools in the Yanbian region of Jilin, China. The differences in data from three groups (never-smokers, ever-smokers, and current smokers) were analyzed using χ2 tests and analysis of variance. Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors affecting smoking behavior. RESULTS: Among the 2,116 participants, 7.3% of the boys and 3.7% of the girls were ever-smokers, and 7.2% of the boys and 0.8% of the girls were current smokers. Differences among groups in terms of gender, number of friends currently smoking, parental smoking behavior, academic performance, alcohol consumption, and intention not to smoke were all significant (p < .001, .05). Compared with never-smoking and ever-smoking students, currently smoking students perceived a significantly less antismoking environment (p = .000). The smoking rate was 2.24 times higher in boys than girls and was 11.57 times higher in students who had three smoking friends compared with those who had no smoking friends. CONCLUSION: The findings may help develop more effective intervention approaches to prevent adolescent smoking. Preventive programs should involve smoking parents by increasing the value they place on their children's nonsmoking behavior and equipping them to help deter adolescent smoking.

Prevalence and risk factors of adolescents smoking: difference between korean and korean-chinese.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare smoking prevalence and risk factors of smoking between Korean and Korean-Chinese middle school students. METHODS: Data was collected from seventh and eighth grade students from 12 schools in Korea and 6 schools in China. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and t test were performed. RESULTS: For data analysis 10,002 usable surveys were utilized. The smoking prevalence was higher in Korean-Chinese students than in Korean students. Risk factors, such as father smoking, friends smoking, gender, grade, academic achievement, alcohol use, and family income were associated with current smoking, and the differences in the two samples were significant. Korean-Chinese students were more likely than Korean students to have friends who smoked and a father who smoked. Smokers had a significantly higher rate of friends smoking, father smoking, and alcohol use. Korean-Chinese male students smoking prevalence was more than three times higher than Korean students. Korean students could sense a more anti-tobacco atmosphere in their environment. Korean-Chinese students were more likely than Korean students to perceive that it was easy to buy cigarettes and to smoke cigarettes in a public computer room. CONCLUSION: These results highlight the differences of smoking prevalence and risk factors between Korean-Chinese students and Korean students. The findings may help health educators and researchers to better understand adolescent smoking and risk factors cross culturally and aid in the development of more effective education programs, which could lead to preventing tobacco use among these populations.