Health Education Research Advance Access originally published online on May 20, 2004
Health Education Research 2004 19(5):551-560; doi:10.1093/her/cyg077
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Health Education Research Vol.19 no.5, © Oxford University Press 2004; All rights reserved
Smoking initiation among Gambian adolescents: social cognitive influences and the effect of cigarette sampling
1 Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, Universiteit Maastricht, P. Debijeplein 1, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands, 2 School of Psychology, Open Universiteit Nederland, Postbus 2960, 6401 DL Heerlen, The Netherlands and 3 PO Box 81, Banjul, The Gambia
4 Correspondence to: S. P. J. Kremers; E-mail: s.kremers{at}gvo.unimaas.nl
In this study, determinants of tobacco use among Gambian youths were examined. A cross-sectional school-based survey was conducted among 282 students, aged 1418. The potential determinants were derived from the core constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior and the ASE model. Moreover, various measures of knowledge and media influence were added to the research model. The results show that free cigarette offers by representatives of tobacco companies were mostly responsible for the difference between smokers and non-smokers. Other variables associated with smoking behavior were greater intention to smoke in the future, lower self-efficacy expectations regarding emotional situations, smoking behavior of the respondent's best friend, the mother having a job and the absence of other family members living in the house. Our study supports current efforts to prohibit tobacco advertising and promotions in The Gambia, especially the distribution of free samples. Additionally, we recommend prevention activities in schools and communities to aim at making children less vulnerable to sampling, increasing their self-efficacy expectations regarding emotional situations and making them aware of the influence of their best friend.
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