Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.7314/APJCP.2014.15.18.7629

Psychological Problems and Psychosocial Predictors of Cigarette Smoking Behavior among Undergraduate Students in Malaysia  

Saravanan, Coumaravelou (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, International Medical University)
Heidhy, Imran (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, International Medical University)
Publication Information
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention / v.15, no.18, 2014 , pp. 7629-7634 More about this Journal
Abstract
Background: Cigarette smokers have their own motivation and justification to smoke. For example, smoking reduces their stress or enhances their pleasure. This study aimed to identify the (a) prevalence of cigarette smokers among undergraduates in Malaysia, (b) gender differences in nicotine dependence among current smokers, (c) differences in psychological problems (depression, anxiety and stress) based on the status of smoking cigarettes (current, former and non-smokers) and (d) extent to which precipitating factors (tension reduction, addiction, automatism, handling, social interaction, pleasure, and stimulation) predict the smoking behavior among current smokers. Materials and Methods: In this study 780 undergraduate students participated from a private university in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor state in Malaysia. The Depression, Stress and Anxiety Scale, Modified Reason for Smoking Scale and Fagerstrom Nicotine Dependence Test were used to measure psychological problems, predictors of smoking behavior and nicotine dependency among current smokers. Results: The results showed that 14.7%(n=106) of the students were smokers. Current smokers exhibited more psychological problems (depression, anxiety and stress) compared to former and non-smokers. Addiction, tension reduction, pleasure and automatism were predictors of smoking behavior among the current smoking students. Step wise regression analysis showed that smoking behavior was highly predicted by nicotine dependency or addiction. Smoking students were motivated to smoke cigarettes as they believed that it reduced their tension and enhance pleasure. Conclusions: Hence, there is a need for health promotion and anti-tobacco prevention as cigarette smokers experience more psychological problems. Nicotine dependency or addition was one of the major causes for smoking behavior among the student population in Malaysia.
Keywords
Psychological problems; smoking; prevalence; precipitating factors;
Citations & Related Records
Times Cited By KSCI : 3  (Citation Analysis)
연도 인용수 순위
1 Berlin I, Singleton EG, Pedarriosse AM, et al (2003). The modified reasons for smoking scale: factorial structure, gender effects and relationship with nicotine dependence and smoking cessation in French smokers. Addiction, 98, 1575-83.   DOI   ScienceOn
2 Al-Dubai SAR, Ganasegeran K, Alabsi AM, Alshagga MA, Ali RS (2012). Awareness and knowledge of oral cancer among university students in Malaysia. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 12, 165-68   과학기술학회마을   DOI   ScienceOn
3 Al-Naggar RA, Al-Dubai SAR, Al-Naggar TH, Chen R, Al-Jashamy R (2011). Prevalence and associated factors of smoking among Malaysian university students. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 12, 619-24.
4 Al-Naggar RH, Bobreryshev YV, Noor NABM (2013). Lifestyle Practice among Malaysian University Students. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 14, 1895-03   과학기술학회마을   DOI   ScienceOn
5 Boden J, Fergusson D, Horwood L (2010). Cigarette smoking and depression: tests of causal linkages using a longitudinal birth cohort. Br J Psychiatry, 196, 440-46.   DOI   ScienceOn
6 Cohen S, Lichtenstein E (1990). Perceived stress, quitting smoking, and smoking relapse, Health Psychol, 9, 466-78.   DOI   ScienceOn
7 Bonilha AG, de Souza ES, Sicchieri MP, (2013). A motivational profile for smoking among adolescents. J Addict Med, 7, 439-46.   DOI
8 Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2012). Global adult tobacco survey. http://www.who.int/tobacco/surveillance/survey/gats/malaysia_fact_sheet_2011.pdf
9 Clair C, Meigs JB, Rigotti NA (2013). Smoking behavior among US adults with diabetes on impaired fasting glucose. Am J Med, 126, 541-58.
10 Everett SA, Husten CG, Kann, L, et al (1999). Smoking initiation and smoking patterns among us college students. J Am Coll Health, 48, 55-60.   DOI
11 Fagerstrom K, Furberg H (2008). A comparison of the fagerström test for nicotine dependence and smoking prevalence across countries. Addiction, 103, 841-45.   DOI   ScienceOn
12 Fidler J, West R (2009). Self-perceived smoking motives and their correlates in a general population sample. Nicotine Tob Res, 10, 1182-8.
13 Lam TS, Tse LA, Griffiths S (2009). Prevalence of smoking and environmental tobacco smoke exposure, and attitudes and beliefs towards tobacco control among Hong Kong medical students. Public Health, 123, 42-46.   DOI   ScienceOn
14 Golbasi Z, Kaya D, Cetindag, A, Capik E, Aydogen S (2011). Smoking prevalence and associated attitudes among high school students in Turkey. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 12, 1313-6.
15 Hashami B, Halim AO, Yusoff K (1994). Smoking among university students: A comparative study between Malaysia students in Malaysia and Australia. Med J Malaysia, 49, 149-57.
16 Hock LK, Ghazali Sm, Cheong KC et al (2014). Prevalence and factors associated with smoking intentions among nonsmoking and smoking adolescents in Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 15, 4359-66   DOI   ScienceOn
17 International Tobacco Control Project (2012). ITC Malaysia national report. Findings from wave 1 to 4 surveys (2005-2009). university of waterloo, waterloo, ontario, canada;universitisains Malaysia, pulau pinang, Malaysia; and Ministry of health, putrajaya, Malaysia.
18 KamalSM, Islam MA, Rahman MA (2011). Sociopsychological correlates of smoking among male university students in Bangladesh. Asia Pac J Public Health, 23, 555-67   DOI
19 Khaled SM, Bulloch AG, Williams JV, et al (2012). Persistent heavy smoking as risk factor for major depression (md) incidence-evidence from a longitudinal Canadian cohort of the national population health survey. J Psychiat Res, 46, 436-43.   DOI   ScienceOn
20 Leventhala AM, AmeringeraKJ, Osbornc E, Zvolensky MJ, Langdon KJ (2013). Anxiety and depressive symptoms and affective patterns of tobacco withdrawal. Drug Alcohol Depend, 133, 324-29   DOI   ScienceOn
21 Mental Health Foundation (2007). Smoking and Mental Health. London: Mental Health Foundation.
22 Lim HK, Ghazali SM, Kee CC, et al (2013). Epidemiology of smoking among Malaysian adult males: prevalence and associated factors. BMC Public Health, 7, 13.
23 Lovibond SH, Lovibond PF (1995). Manual for the depression anxiety stress scales. (2nd. Ed.) Sydney: Psychology Foundation.
24 Madsen TF, Scholten MB, Flachs EM, et al (2011). Tobacco smoking as a risk factor for depression. a 26-year populationbased follow-up study. J Psychiatr Res, 45, 143-49.   DOI   ScienceOn
25 Mykletun A, OverlandS, Aaro LE, Liabo HM, Stewart R (2008). Smoking in relation to anxiety and depression: Evidence from a large population survey: The HUNT study. Eur Psychiatr, 23, 77-84   DOI   ScienceOn
26 Pasco JA, Williams LJ, Jacka FN, et al (2008). Tobacco smoking as a risk factor for major depressive disorder: population-based study. Br J Psychiatry, 193, 322-326.   DOI   ScienceOn
27 Munafo MR, Araya R (2010). Cigarette smoking and depression: a question of causation. Br J Psychiatry, 196, 425-26.   DOI   ScienceOn
28 Ozturk C, Bektas M, Yilmaz E, etal (2011). Smoking status of Turkish nursing students and factors affecting their behavior. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 12, 1687-92.
29 Parrott AC (1999). Does cigarette smoking cause stress?. Am Psychol, 54, 817-20.   DOI   ScienceOn
30 Saravanan.C, Wilks, R (2014). Medical students' experience of and reaction to stress: The role of depression and anxiety. Scientific World Journal, 29, 737382.
31 Zhu T, Feng B, Wong S, Choi W, Zhu SH (2004). A comparison of smoking behaviors among medical and other college students in China. Health Promot Int, 19, 189-96.   DOI   ScienceOn
32 Souza ES, Crippa JA, Pasian SR, Martinez JA (2010). University of Sao Paulo reasons for smoking scale: a new tool for the evaluation of smoking motivation. J Bras Pneumol, 36, 768-78.
33 Statistic New Zealand (2013). Cigarette smoking behaviour. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2010). How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis fFor Smoking-Attributable Disease: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, Ga: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center For Chronic Disease Prevention And Health Promotion, Office On Smoking And Health pp1-9.
34 Torre GL, Kirch W, Bes-Rastrollo M, et al (2012). Tobacco use among medical students in Europe: Results of a multicentre study using the global health professions student survey, Public Health, 126, 159-64.   DOI   ScienceOn
35 Warren CW, Jones NR, Chauvin J, et al (2005). Tobacco use and cessation counselling: cross-country. Data from the Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS). Tob control, 17, 238-47.
36 Wu LT, Anthony JC (1999). Tobacco smoking and depressed mood in late childhood and early adolescence. Am J Public Health, 89, 1837-40.   DOI   ScienceOn
37 Zawahir S, Omar M, Awang R, et al (2013). Effectiveness of antismoking media messages and education among adolescents in Malaysia and Thailand: findings from the international tobacco control Southeast Asia project. Nicotine Tob Res, 15, 482-91.   DOI
38 Zvolensky MJ, Schmidt NB (2003). Panic disorder and smoking. Clin Psychol Sci Pract, 10, 29-51.   DOI
39 Pineiro B, Duran AL, Rio EF, Martinew U, Becona E (2013). Gender differences in personality patterns and smoking status after a smoking cessation treatment. BMC Public Health, 13, 306.   DOI
40 Costa FM, Jessor R, Turbin MS (2007). College student involvement in cigarettesmoking: The role of psychosocial and behavioral protection and risk. Nicotine Tob Res, 9, 213-24.   DOI   ScienceOn