Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of psycho-social factors on smoking especially the impact of a social support and stress on smoking among boy's high school students. Methods: This study was conducted by administering a questionnaire to 442 boys' high school students living in Deajeon, Korea. This data were analyzed with the SPSS statistical package using t-test and logistic regression. Major findings of this study are as follows: Results: 1. Analysis of the relationship of smoking, stress and social support: The relationship between stress and smoking and between friend's support and smoking had a positive correlation. But the relationship between parents' support and smoking and between teacher's support and smoking had a negative correlation. 2. Multiple logistic analysis of the impact of stress, social support and general characteristics on smoking: The relationship between stress and smoking had a positive correlation as social support and general characteristics were controlled. In contrast, the relationship between social support -parents', friend's, teacher's support- and smoking had no significant correlations as stress and general characteristics were controlled. The risk factors of smoking of boy's high school students were smoking friends, drinking, a type of school, pocket money per month, and stress. And the most powerful predictor of smoking was smoking friends(OR=12.35). Conclusions: The results showed that the variables affecting mainly on smoking were the personal background -smoking friends, drinking, a type of school, pocket money per month- and stress. Therefore, these findings give useful information for constructing a program against smoking or educating about smoking.