Smoking Behavior Prevention in Adolescents

Abstract

This research paper seeks to address a major social problem among Georgian youth, tobacco use.
The tobacco epidemic is one of the most important and urgent public health challenges facing governments and civil societies around the world. The cycle of tobacco dependence typically begins with the initiation of tobacco use during adolescence. The average age of tobacco use is age before 20; people start smoking before 20 years of age. This research was based on the Unified Theory of Behavior Change. A unified theory of adolescent risk behavior was explicated that integrates five major theories of human behavior. The theory emphasizes intentions to perform behaviors, knowledge and skills necessary for behavioral performance, the salience of the behavior, environmental constraints and facilitators, habit and automatic processes, expectancies, social norms, self concept and image considerations, self efficacy and emotions and affective reactions. Data were collected from 300 adolescents from Georgian schools in Tbilisi, Georgia. Results were calculated using SPSS.