Explaining Smoking among Students at Golestan University of Medical Sciences Based on BASNEF Model

Smoking and its related diseases account for annual death of 4 million people around the world. Beliefs, attitude, subjective norms, enabling factors (BASNEF) model is considered as one of the comprehensive models of behavior study. The aim of the current study was to explain smoking among students living in dormitories of Golestan University of Medical Sciences based on BASNEF model

In a cross-sectional study, 78 students were recruited through snowball sampling in spring 2011. Data collection instrument was a researcher-designed questionnaire based on the BASNEF model. Data was analyzed by descriptive statistics along with independent-t test and analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Smoker roommates (46.2%) and friends (41%) were the most important subjective norms. Easy accessibility (73.1%), easy consumption (67.9%), and cheapness (62.8%) were the most important enabling factors of smoking. In attitude construct, while 30.8% had negative attitudes, 43.6% and 25.6% had respectively neutral and favorable attitudes toward smoking.

Subjective norms and enabling factors are the most important factors in smoking. These factors should be considered in smoking cessation and prevention programs and interventions.