Increasing awareness of the pressures related to smoking: an analysis of two models of anti-smoking curriculum in the classroom

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Abstract
Health promotion activities related to preventing the onset of smoking were examined with students in grades 5 and 6 (ages 10 to 12 years old). The goals were to increase the knowledge of students related to the health risks associated with cigarette smoking as well as to address the external pressures to smoke. Two classroom interventions were used: (i) a 5-lesson, video presentation on resisting the pressures to smoke; and (ii) a 4-lesson, teacher-led discussion of smoking and advertizing. Each program was held in four weekly one-hour sessions and included group discussions of subject matter. Threegroups of students were surveyed from six local schools: (i) the video presentation group; (ii) the teacher-led group; and(iii) a control group (no classroom intervention). Pretest and post-test measurements were conducted on each students' self-reported behavior and his/her attitudes toward pressures to smoke. Results indicated that the majority of students felt that students start smoking because (a) their friends smoke, (b) it makes them feel older, and (c) they like to actimportant. Both intervention models produced similar results showing the students' ability to identify messages related toimages within actual smoking advertisements more than the control classrooms. The results point to the usefulness of including information on the effects of advertisements in smoking education curricula.

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