Determinants of resilience to cigarette smoking among youth at risk

Pages:289-291
Rajesh B. Patel (Psychologist, District Tobacco Control Cell Sabarkantha, Gujrat)

The aims of the current exploratory study were to bring together a number of variables related to resilience and smoking status and study them in the one investigation. The study sought to identify factors contributing to smoking resilience among young people at risk, i.e. those who despite the odds do not smoke.Present research the sample consisted of 100 male and 100 completed questionnaires were returned (100% response rate). In present research participants received a nine page self-report questionnaire consisting of 101 questions divided into sections on sense of humor, style of coping, social support (family, peers, and community), sense of coherence, and depression, anxiety and stress. And analysis comparing depression, anxiety and stress scores in relation to how often a person smoked was conducted with one-way analysis of variance. The current study found an association between family support and smoking status. Very strong positive correlations were found between weekly smoking and the items ‘how often did your family really try to listen when you talked about your problems or worries?’ and ‘how often could you use them as examples of how to deal with problems or worries?’ This indicated that students who smoked weekly perceived their family as trying to listen to them more, and more frequently regarded them as examples of how to deal with problems.