SS 16.00-17.30 Special sessions

A SMOKEFREE CULTURE - THE NONSMOKING PUPIL

Background

The bilingual Province of Vaasa, located in the western part of Finland, had in 1994-95 approximately 6 400 school pupils in the age of 13 years old (ca 22% were Swedish-speaking). The project's aim is to research the popularity of smoking among pupils, their impression about smoking and their attitudes towards smoking.

The project is divided into three phases:

In the first phase the smoking habits of school pupils will be researched. In the second phase the causes and the cultural background of the pupils will be analysed. The third phase, an interventative programme will strive to spread information, with the help of the schools' educational methods, about the smoking culture, with the aim to get pupils to stop smoking.

Implementation

In the begin of 1995, the project's target group was pupils, at the age of 13, attending the basic school in the Province of Vaasa. From this target group a sample of a third of the total was asked to answer a questionnaire about smoking habits. With the questionnaire the popularity of smoking, the underlying factors of this habit, and the impression of the advantages and disadvantage of smoking were researched. The results were evaluated by school types and mother tongue.

After the pupils started their 8th grade, in the autumn of 1995, 9 schools were chosen for this research. The aim was to get more in-depth information about the pupil's opinions on smoking. The questionnaire, Osgood's Semantic Differentiation and directed interviews were used as the research methods.

In the autumn of 1996, when the pupils will reach the 9th grade, the interventative programme in three schools will be realized. The purpose is to influence the important cultural factors for the pupils: school community, friendship and home. Representatives from schools, (the principle, teachers responsible for health education, school nurses, representatives for the pupils and representatives for the providers) have met for an intervention planning meeting to prepare an action plan relating to each school. Each school makes a plan based on the programme for the 1996-1997 school year. A group of experts analysed the action plans at its meeting on 14th June 1996. The interventative programme will be implemented in educational work during the autumn term 1996, and the results will be evaluated in the spring term of 1997.

Results so far

Until today the results show, that smoking usually starts at the age of 13 years, for pupils belonging to youth groups. Alone, none will start to smoke. An important factor for smoking is the example given by the parents. The non-smokers explain their decisions through health factors. The interventative programme, in the third phase will concentrate on all subcultures of school pupils. The method used will be working- and supporting methods targeted towards smoking pupils.

Background
The project is divided into three phases:
Implementation
Results so far
Smoke Free Europe Conference Abstracts - 19 SEP 1996

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