Factors Predicting Smoking Behavior Through Multilevel Interventions in the Royal Thai Army Conscripts
Pannee Pantaewan DrPH*, Mondha Kengganpanich PhD**
Affiliation : * Department of Community Health Nursing, The Royal Thai Army Nursing College, Bangkok, Thailand ** Department of Health Education and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Objective : To determine factors predicting smoking behavior through multilevel interventions in the Royal Thai Army
Conscripts.
Material and Method: The present study was a part of quasi-experimental research designed to evaluate the effectiveness of
smoking cessation program based on ecological model for improving smoking behavior among the conscripts in the three
levels of behavior change interventions; intrapersonal level, interpersonal level and organizational level. The 89 participants
were purposively selected from the first infantry regiment of conscripts who were current smokers from the King’s Royal
Guards recruited into the Army in the first section of the year 2009 and put into a trial run-through of the three influential
factors process throughout the first six months. The instruments used to collect data was a self-administered questionnaire
used between May 2009 and November 2009. In addition, the individual interviews and checklists of observations were
employed to collect data related to organizational intervention. Data mining classification was used to predict the influential
factors improving smoking behavior after the end of smoking cessation program at six months.
Results : The conscripts were able to change their smoking behaviors. 62.9% of participants reduced smoking, and 4.5%
could quit smoking. Data mining analysis showed self-efficacy in intrapersonal level was the crucial variable to predict
smoking behavior which correctly classified in the model 77.78%, subsequently, behavioral factors, e.g., duration of smoking
and the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Additionally, organizational intervention also had an influence on the change
of smoking behavior by strengthening the policy related to tobacco control, setting smoke free workplace and supporting from
the commander. For interpersonal intervention, family support alone did not improve their smoking behaviors.
Conclusion : Self-efficacy and organizational intervention can help the conscripts improve their smoking behaviors during
service in the army.
Keywords : Predicting factors, Smoking behavior, Multilevel interventions, Conscripts
