Social Reactions and Reasoned Pathways of High School Students and School Dropouts’ Inclination toward Smoking Behavior: Prototype/willingness Modelling via Generalized Structural Equation

摘要

Background: To investigate the determinants of smoking behavior among Iranian adolescents applying the Prototype/Willingness (P/W) Model. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a self-administered P/W model-based questionnaire was completed between 760 randomly selected adolescents (high school students and dropouts) in Hamadan, Iran, in 2015. Generalized structural equation modeling (GSEM) was applied to analyze data. Results: Significant associations were found between subjective norms and positive attitudes toward smoking (P0.001). The behavioral intention was also significantly related to the willingness and subjective norms (P0.001). Prototype or risk image was not significantly related to the willingness among the dropout adolescents. Conclusion: When social reaction and reasoned processes are modeled together, both may predict the smoking behavior. The high-risk perception and the high-risk image toward smoking behavior among the adolescents may originate from socio-cultural factors underlying the behavior. Further research is recommended to investigate the socio-cultural biases of the issue.