Development of an Internet-based Smoking Prevention Program for Young Male Adolescents in Thailand

Abstract

                This developmental study produced the Internet-based Tobacco Smoking Prevention Program for young male adolescents. It was informed by the Health Belief Model, the Theory of Reasoned Action, the Social Cognitive Theory, and the Information Processing Model; used modified processes of computer-based instruction development; and tested the feasibility of the Program.

               Participants (n=64) were purposively recruited into four subsamples: eight teachers, 16 male students for focus group discussion, 10 students for pretesting, and 30 students for feasibility testing. Data were collected using six questionnaires: Knowledge Regarding Smoking, Attitudes Toward Smoking, Decision Making in Smoking Refusal, Smoking Refusal Skill, Self-efficacy in Smoking Refusal, and Satisfaction Regarding the Use of the Computer Program. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and one-way repeated measures ANOVA.

               Results revealed that the critical elements of the theory-based program were content, simulations/video clips, interactive exercises, and web board for discussion. There was high agreement from the students that the website was convenient, preferable, interesting, useful, acceptable, practical, and sufficient but only moderately fast in speed. There were significant increases in the mean scores of knowledge regarding smoking, attitude toward smoking, and self-efficacy in smoking refusal at immediate post-test and on day 7, excluding the skills of smoking refusal, but significant differences in the mean scores of decision-making in smoking refusal at baseline and at immediate post-test.

              Findings suggest that school and community nurses can use the Program as an interactive strategy to improve the adolescents’ knowledge regarding smoking, attitude toward smoking, and self-efficacy for smoking prevention.