Title: Short term effect of a smoking prevention class from the perspective of students and their parent
Abstract:
Purpose
To hold a smoking prevention class for students, and to clarify the effect of the class according to students’ and parent’s perception, and parents’ smoking behaviors.
Methods
A smoking prevention class was held for students at one elementary school and two junior high schools in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan from 2019 to 2020. After receiving Ethical Review Board approval, a longitudinal study was conducted on 340 student-parent pairs. A survey was conducted three times per month for students and twice per month for parents. The effect of the class was evaluated based on less psychosocial nicotine dependence and reduced smoking actions.
Results
Valid responses were obtained from 140 student-parent pairs (38 sixth-graders and 102 seventh-graders). Among the students, 80 (57.1%) responded that there were smokers around them. Students’ Kano Test for Social Nicotine Dependence (KTSND) total score (median) decreased from 4.0 before the class (T1) to 2.0 immediately after the class (T2), and 3.0 one month after the class (T3). The low score indicates low psychosocial nicotine dependence. There was no significant difference between T1 and T3. No significant difference in parents’ KTSND total score (median) was observed between before the class and one month after the class (both 14.0). A total of 113 (80.7%) parents read a document about smoking cessation provided by the school, and 45 (32.1%) parents listened to a talk about the class. Among parental respondents, 23 were smokers (16.4%), and there were 40 smokers (28.6%) who also lived in the same house. One month later, about 40% of smokers and about 20% of housemates showed actions such as reducing passive smoking and smoking cessation.
Conclusion
One month after the smoking class, the students’ and parent’s smoking perception remained unchanged; however, the class provided the opportunity to reconsider smoking actions among the students’ housemates.
Keywords:
Student, parent, smoking prevention class.
Audience Take Away:
- The audience can learn that health education is not limited to the person in front of it.
- Smoking prevention class for children has a slight impact on family smoking habits.
- If you can contribute to family health education through children, it will be a cost-effective method.
