Abstract:
Smoking is an important public health affecting not only smokers but also the
people in close proximity to them. As well, smoking causes economic waste, environmental
damage and social problems. The serious promotion of smoking cessation will help to solve
these problems in the future. This study was quasi-experimental research that aimed to study
the effect of a smoking cessation program which applied the concept of Stages of Change
Theory and social support for promoting smoking cessation. The experimental group was
composed of 78 conscripts, batch 1/2550 Vipawadeerangsit Camp, under the Infantry
Battalion 3, Infantry Department 25, Suratthani Province. A comparison of the data was
made between pre-and post-program. The sample group participated in the smoking
cessation program and received the social support provided. Program activities includedlearning
through group process, modeling, brainstorming, discussion about the problems,
identifying the practice techniques, stimulating and following-up smoking cessation. The
experiment lasted for 10 weeks. Data collection was done before the experiment and
afterwards by using a questionnaire and a smoking record form. Data analysis was
performed by computing frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, standard deviation
whereby Paired Samples t-test and Z-test were used for statistical tests.
The research results showed that a smoking cessation program which applied the
concept of Stages of Change Theory and social support was effective and that the sampled
conscripts gained higher levels of perceived susceptibility, perceived threat of smoking, and
perceived self-efficacy regarding stopping smoking as compared to before the experiment.
It was also found that smoking cessation practices during the follow-up period were
significantly better than before the implementation of the program. However, no differences
in the practice of smoking cessation were found between the period right after the program
implementation and the follow-up period. The number of cigarettes smoked per day in the
experimental group was found to be significantly lower than before the experiment
(p<0.05).
This smoking cessation program along with providing social support should be
applied with the other groups who have the similar problematic situations