The effects of health volunteers’ competency enhancement activities on knowledge and perceived self- efficacy in helping quit smoking

Abstract

     This quasi-experimental research with one group pretest-posttest design aimed to study the effects of self-efficacy enhancement activities among health volunteers’ knowledge and perception of self-efficacy in helping quit smoking. A sample of 50 health volunteers who met the inclusion criteria was recruited using simple random sampling at Tasawang, Muang district, Surin Province. The research instrument included the self-efficacy program underlying Bandura’s self-efficacy theory (1977) for health volunteers to help quit smoking. It comprised of 1) knowledge promotion of tobacco using face-to-face teaching and online videos, 2) sharing working experiences of smoking (tobacco), and 3) Positive reinforcement and knowledge communication and answering exchange questions for health volunteers, 2) The questionnaires included tobacco Knowledge and the perceived self-efficacy in helping others quit smoking. Cronbach’s alpha of the tobacco knowledge and perceived self-efficacy questionnaire were 0.82 and 0.80. Descriptive statistics and t-test were used for data analysis.

     The results showed that after receiving the activities for promoting health volunteers’ competencies (efficacy) in helping quit smoking, the sample had a higher average mean score on perceived self-efficacy and knowledge than before receiving the activity at a significant level (p<0.001). This study suggests that promoting activities enhancing self-efficacy in health volunteers helps them quit smoking and develops self-efficacy in using with family or community in their working area.