Effects of Perceived Smoking-Cancer Relationship and Cardiovascular Health Attitudes on Childrens’ Views of Smoking

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> This study was conducted with the aim of determining how students’ perceived smoking-cancerrelationship and cardiovascular health attitudes affect childrens’ views of smoking. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: Thesample of this descriptive-cross sectional study comprised 574 subjects between the ages of 11-15. The data werecollected using the Children’s Cardiovascular Health Promotion Attitude Scale and the Children’s DecisionalBalance Measure for Assessing and Predicting Smoking Status. Correlation and logistic regression were usedfor analysis. <br/><b>Results</b>: It was determined that a statistically significant relationship exists between the attitudes ofchildren towards smoking and their ideas about the relationship of smoking with cancer, which is negative and low(r=-0.223). There was also a statistically significant relationship between their attitudes towards cardiovascularhealth and their attitudes towards smoking, again at a low level (r=0.257). It was determined that children withideas about smoking and cancer were 9.4 times less likely to have positive/negative attitudes towards smoking,while positive attitudes towards cardiovascular health made negative attitudes towards smoking 3.9 times lesslikely. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: It was determined that the attitudes of students towards cardiovascular health and theirperceptions of smoking and cancer reduced the positive perceptions towards smoking.