Knowledge, attitudes and practices of smoking among university students in Thailand: A quantitative study / Busaban Chirtkiatsakul

Busaban , Chirtkiatsakul (2022) Knowledge, attitudes and practices of smoking among university students in Thailand: A quantitative study / Busaban Chirtkiatsakul. PhD thesis, Universiti Malaya.

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Abstract

Smoking remains a public health concern in several countries, especially among young adults. The aim of this study is to: 1) determine the prevalence of smoking among university students in Thailand and identify associated factors, 2) examine the general level of knowledge, attitudes and practices with regards to smoking and identify associated factors, and 3) investigate whether attitude domains mediate the relationship between knowledge domains and practice domains. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,299 students from five public universities in Thailand using a selfadministered questionnaire. Factor analysis, multiple logistic regression, multiple linear regression, the causal-step approach, and 95% confidence interval bootstrap percentiles were used for analysis. Results showed that 28.2% of students were smokers. 75.3% of students had a high knowledge, 49.5% had equivocal attitude and 79.0% had poor practice. Factors significantly associated with smoking were male, aged 21 years and above, enrolled in a non-science major, living off campus, having a family member or friend who smoked, having a favorable attitude toward smoking, and having an equivocal attitude about smoking. Gender, age group, and field of study were important factors influencing knowledge about smoking. Being a male was associated with less anti-smoking attitudes, less positive preventive practices, more positive perceptions about smoking, and more negative practices. Having a family member who smoked was associated with more positive perceptions about smoking; however, having a family member who smoked was associated with higher positive preventive practices. Having a friend who smoked was associated with more positive perceptions about smoking and more negative practices toward smoking. Based on the mediation analysis, anti-smoking attitude mediates the relationship between the domains of knowledge and positive preventive practice, and also mediates the relationship between the domains of knowledge and negative practice. Positive perceptions about smoking act as a mediator between all knowledge domains and negative practices. Understanding the influencing factors of smoking, knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward smoking, and the connection among them provides helpful insights for tobacco control policies in universities.

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