A Study of Change Mechanism in Smoking Behavior among Female Adolescents

Abstract

Purpose: This study was to identify the change mechanism that female adolescents use to progress through the smoking behavior change. Method: This study used a cross-sectional survey design. The data was collected from December, 2003 to January, 2004. The subjects included in this study were 125 female high school students in smoking or in smoking cessation. To identify the change mechanism, the factor analysis of the change mechanism (40 items) suggested by Prochaska et al.(1988) was conducted. Result: Nine factors of change mechanism were identified - emotional appraisal, counter conditioning, self-regulation, reinforcement management, helping relationship, self-determination, environmental reevaluation, social liberation, consciousness raising. Self-regulation change mechanism among those nine factors was found to include items related to both experiential and behavioral dimensions, therefore, this change mechanism can be considered as transitional one. Conclusion: Those change mechanism that female high school students use to progress through behavior change in this study identified in this study can provide the framework in developing programs for helping smoking cessation among female adolescents.