The Stage of Behavioral Change in Smoking Cessation of People in Koksri Sub district Muang District Khon Kaen Province

Abstract

This cross-sectional descriptive study aims to study classifications of cigarette smokers based on stage of change of smoking cessation behavior and to study process of change in each change stage of smoking cessation among cigarette smokers in Koksri subdistrict, Mueang district, Khon Kaen. 246 smokers were recruited according to questionnaires and using systematic randomization. The data collected from the smokers were analyzed using statistical software package. The descriptive statistics including frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and minimum and maximum were reported as well as the inferential statistic was used to determine the relationship between the stage of change of smoking behavior and the change process of smoking behavior using discriminant analysis. The results revealed that most of the studied population (32.5%) were in the precontemplation stage of smoking behavior.  This group of smokers that had the lowest average score of change process were in counter conditioning ( = 11.13, SD=3.44).  The smokers with the highest average score of change process were in action stage with environmental reevaluation ( = 17.83, SD=1.48). When analyzing separately, the population in precontemplation and contemplation stage were statistically different in almost of all aspects (p-value = 0.05). It was also found that the average score of change process progressively increased from contemplation ( = 14.05, SD=2.81), preparation ( = 14.31, SD=2.75), and action ( = 15.44, SD=1.87), but decreased in maintenance process ( = 15.38, SD=2.15).

This study suggests that involved health professionals should consider stage and process of change of smoking behavior among the smokers in order to perform health education activities that are suitable for each group of smokers based on those considerations, with the ultimate goal to reduce a number of smokers in communities.