Study of Smoking Predictors Based on Prototype/Willingness Model omong High School Students in Maragheh

Regarding the young population in Iran and prevalence of smoking among them and the importance of determining predictors of smoking consumption in adaption and implementation of preventive behaviors programs, the study was conducted with the aim of determining predictors of smoking based on Prototype/Willingness Model among high school students in Maragheh city in west Azarbyjan. In this analytical study carried out as cross-sectional, total number of 240 high school students were entered in the study with a two stage random sampling from 4 selected high schools of Maragheh city. Data were collected with a valid and reliable questionnaire including demographic information and constructs of Prototype/Willingness Model and were completed with self report. Data were then analyzed with SPSS software using regression and correlation coefficient tests. Subjects earned 77.3, 91.4, 80.7, 33.4 and 41.4 percents from maximum scores of intention to not smoking, subjective norms, attitude, willingness and prototype respectively. There were statistically significant differences in mean scores of willingness to smoke, negative attitude to smoking and positive images to smoking by smoking status. There was a negative significant correlation between intention to not smoking and positive images to smoking and it had a positive significant correlation with social norms. Results also showed that willingness increases the chance of smoking experience more than intention (odd ratio=1.73 vs. 1.10). Living conditions and social environment may causes some positive/negative images to smoking and those images could produce willingness to smoking experience, so special interventions aiming imagination and willingness to smoking are recommended.