Social influences on adolescent smoking in Vietnam
Abstract
Tobacco use or cigarette smoking is one of the top concern of Vietnamese
government in public health sector which is considered as a negative impact on people
health both smoker & non-smoker.
Adolescent smoking rate is increasing at significant momentum recently.
Smoking at the adolescent stage has been indicated that it is one of the most powerful and
rational predictor of tobacco use in the next stages of age. To design a good and
appropriate intervention to curtail adolescent smoking rate at the very beginning stage of
life, this study is objected to demonstrate the relationship of social influences including
Parent Smoking, Peer Smoking, and Peer Smoking which impacts directly and indirectly
on adolescent smoking through 3 dimensions including Expected Approval, Attitude
toward Smoking and Perceived Prevalence.
This study included 246 adolescents which are from 13 to 25 years old with
different background, education qualification, and income status. Regarding to result,
there is 24.4% current smoker or experimental smoker as the sample prevalence of
current smoking with the dominance of male adolescent. It is also revealed that Peer &
Siblings are two key sources of adolescents’ expected approval and attitude toward
smoking which is prominent predictor influence on adolescent smoking & their smoking
behaviors
The findings & suggestion for further research in future are given.