Psychological constructs to predicting smoking behavior among Korean secondary school students

Background. Current research on cigarette smoking has largely been focused on identifying the relationship between psychological attributes and the onset or initiation of smoking behavior. Few data are available on the psychological predictors of smoking behavior among Korean adolescents. This study examined the prevalence of smoking behavior among Korean adolescents, revealed factors affecting their smoking behavior, and identified the relationship between smoking behavior and psychological variables. Methods. Four Korean-version questionnaires were used to assess adolescents' smoking behavior and their psychological attributes: Smoking Habit Scale, Multidimensional Health Locus of Scale, Self-efficacy Scale, and Self-esteem Scale. Frequency, Chi-square, ANOVA, correlation, and regression analyses were performed to analyze the data obtained in the study. Results. The results indicate that smoking problem in the Korean adolescents is a crucial factor that might adversely affect their overall health. Forty-three percent of adolescents responded that they had smoked a cigarette in their lifetime and 26% are current smokers. Male adolescents were more likely to smoke in their lifetime and have currently smoked a cigarette than females. The adolescents aged 17-18 years had smoked more cigarette than those in other age groups. Among the five psychological variables, IHLC and self-efficacy significantly differentiated adolescents at different smoking status. Furthermore, IHLC, self-esteem, and self-efficacy were significantly correlated with smoking behavior and those psychological constructs had a significant linear relation to account for smoking behavior. Conclusions. Psychological variables have a meaningful influence on smoking behavior of adolescents.