Relationships of Smoking, Stress and Social Support of High School Students

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to explore a possible interaction effect of stress and social support on the smoking status and identify smoking related factors of high school students.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was used for this study. A total of 1,251 high school students from Gyeonggi-do were selected using stratified-proportional random cluster sampling methods. The participants completed a set of questionnaires to measure their smoking status, stress, social support and sociodemographic information. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, x2-tests and hierarchical logistic regressions.

Results: The interaction effect of stress and social support on smoking status was not supported. However, stress, sex, types of school, parent's smoking and friends' smoking were significantly predicted the smoking status of the high school students.

Conclusions: In relation to the prevention of adolescents smoking, it is recommended to decrease the stress levels of students, to make adolescents' parents cease smoking, and to educate adolescents on how to refuse the temptation to smoke or pressure from their smoking friend.