Smoking Problems, attitude of tobacco and Smoking Behavior of Undergraduate Students of Faculty of Hospitality Industry, Kasetsart University.

Abstract

The objectives of this research were: (1) to investigate smoking issues, attitudes towards tobacco, and smoking behavior among undergraduate students of the Faculty of Hospitality Industry at Kasetsart University; and (2) to study the factors associated with smoking behavior among undergraduate students of the Faculty of Hospitality Industry at Kasetsart University. A Multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select 440 participants for the study. A questionnaire was utilized to collect data, which were subsequently analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including the Chi-square statistic, t-test, and one-way ANOVA.

The findings indicate that a significant portion of the students, 27.2%, engage in regular smoking. The reasons for smoking varied, with many students expressing an intention to try smoking and perceiving it as a normal behavior. The factors associated with smoking behavior showed statistical significance (p=.00-.038). Moreover, when comparing the mean scores of knowledges, attitude, and smoking behavior using statistical t-values, it was observed that females had higher knowledge and attitude scores compared to males. Additionally, non-smokers and final year students exhibited better knowledge and attitude scores in comparison to smoking students and those from other faculties. All variables showed significant differences, and there was a significant correlation between knowledge and attitude scores (r=.448, p=.00).

Keywords: Smoking Problems, attitude about tobacco, Smoking Behavior, Hospitality Industry