Predictors of Adoption of Smoking Preventive Behaviors among University Students: Application of Health Belief Model

Smoking is one of the main causes of various diseases. Due to an increasing in smoking among university students, this study aimed to determine the predictors of adoption of smoking preventive behaviors in students using the health belief model was designed and implemented.
This was a cross-sectional study. 355 students living in dormitories Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, were selected to participate in the study using Single-stage cluster sampling. To collect the data, a designed questionnaire based on the health belief model (HBM) was used. The data analyzed using SPSS software version 16 and descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple logistic regression tests.
Participants had been obtained 45.91% of the score for the adoption of smoking preventive behaviors. Perceived susceptibility and perceived barriers higher score and perceived benefits and self-efficacy lowest score the points among independent variables in this study were assigned. Multiple regression analysis showed that perceived susceptibility and self-efficacy were predictors of adoption of smoking preventive behaviors. These variables, able to predict the 24.6% behavioral changes.
These results indicated in the design of educational interventions should be emphasized on perceived susceptibility and self-efficacy as the most important predictor of adopting preventive behaviors of smoking in university students.