Smoking and Physical Activity of 1st Grate High Scholl Children’s: Examination through Social – Cognitive Theories and Parents’ Effect

Ioanna Kouloumenta1, Eleni Zetou1, Evdoxia Kosmidou2, & Yannis Theodorakis2

1Deparment of Physical Education and Sports Science, Democritus University of Trace, Komotini, Hellas

2Deparment of Physical Education and Sports Science, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Hellas

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the smoking behaviour through the Social Cognitive Theories, the relation of this behaviour with leisure time exercise and parents influence on adolescent’s smoking behaviour. Participants were 413 first grade high school students (Μ=13±1 years old, 54.9% boys and 45.1% girls) and their parents (N=270, Μ=45.62 years old, 65.6%were women and 34.4% were men). The results showed that the intention for smoking was predicted by the attitudes of children toward smoking, self -identity, experimentation with smoking (1st step) and the attitudes of parents toward smoking (2nd step). The boys conceived that they were more informed than girls (p<.005) and more physically active in their leisure time (p<.05). Only few children reported smoking experimentation, on the contrary most parents had experimented with smoking,. Social cognitive theories seem to be useful in identify- ing individual factors, and parents influence on the unhealthy behaviour of smoking in young adolescents.

Key words: smoking, physical activity, health, stages of change questionnaire