Skip Navigation



Journal of Public Health Advance Access published online on April 15, 2009
Journal of Public Health, doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdp031
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
31/3/354    most recent
fdp031v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Yeretzian, J. S.
Right arrow Articles by Afifi, R. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Yeretzian, J. S.
Right arrow Articles by Afifi, R. A.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2009, Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved

‘It won't happen to me’: the knowledge–attitude nexus in adolescent smoking


Joumana S. Yeretzian, Research Assistant
Rema A. Afifi, Associate Professor

Department of Health Behavior and Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, PO Box 11-2036, Riad El Solh 1107 2020, Beirut, Lebanon


Address correspondence to Rema A. Afifi, E-mail: ra15{at}aub.edu.lb


  Abstract

Background Behavioral models state that adolescents need not only to know about the dangers of smoking, but also to perceive themselves as susceptible to those dangers prior to modifying their smoking behavior. However, this hypothesis has not been tested in developing world settings where the context of tobacco use may differ.

Methods Survey data were collected from a sample of 1294 adolescents 13–20 years of age—from three under-privileged suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon. Scores were calculated to measure the knowledge of and the perceived susceptibility by a series of statements related to the consequences of tobacco use. Bivariate and multivariate methods were used to assess the association of knowledge and perceived susceptibility with smoking, controlling for socio-demographic variables.

Results A logistic regression model showed that the odds of ever smoking among adolescents who had less knowledge of smoking were 1.9 times those of adolescents with more knowledge. Similar odds were demonstrated for adolescents who did not perceive themselves susceptible to smoking hazards compared with those who did.

Conclusions These results suggest that awareness campaigns should focus on raising the perceived susceptibility of adolescents by including items that are more within the realm of an adolescent's frame of mind such as smelly clothes and discolored teeth.

Keywords: adolescents, knowledge, perceived susceptibility, risks, smoking


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.