Development of a Community Participation Model for Smoking Prevention in a Secondary School in Ban Phai District, Khon Kaen Province

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a community participation model for smoking prevention in a secondary school in Ban Phai District, Khon Kaen Province. An action research design was employed, consisting of four iterative phases: problem analysis, planning, action, and reflection. The study participants included three groups: (1) a model development group of 30 stakeholders, comprising teachers, school administrators, public health personnel, community leaders, representatives of parents, shop owners, and students; (2) key informants from in-depth interviews (7 persons) and focus group discussions (10 persons); and (3) a group of 60 Grade 7 students who participated in the pilot implementation of the program. Research instruments included a general information questionnaire, a smoking-related behavior questionnaire, a knowledge assessment, attitude and practice questionnaires, a perceived behavioral control questionnaire, and a satisfaction questionnaire for stakeholders. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-tests, while qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis.

The situational analysis revealed that most students had never smoked cigarettes or used e-cigarettes; however, significant risk factors were identified, including having parents or relatives who smoked, having friends who smoked, peer pressure to smoke, and perceived ease of access to tobacco products. The developed model was based on a smoking prevention program that integrated the Theory of Planned Behavior with social support concepts. The program consisted of four core activity sessions and twelve reinforcement follow-up activities conducted over a four-month period. The evaluation results demonstrated that, after program implementation, students showed statistically significant improvements in knowledge, attitudes, preventive practices, and perceived behavioral control related to smoking prevention (p < .001). In addition, the model development group reported a high overall level of satisfaction with the developed model (= 4.49)

In conclusion, the developed community participation model was found to be appropriate and effective as a guideline for smoking prevention among lower secondary school students. The model also shows strong potential for sustainable implementation and scalability at both school and community levels.