Abstract
Background: Reducing the age of smoking and its onset during adolescence is one of the public health concerns that can cause many problems for adolescents. Despite numerous studies, smoking behavior is still increasing in this group of society, which requires understanding the actual analysis of this tendency according to the cultural and social conditions of adolescents. Therefore, this qualitative study was conducted to explain the factors of smoking behavior among adolescents in Isfahan.
Methods: The present study is a qualitative research of content analysis using the conventional approach. Participants were selected through available sampling in schools and recreational places in Isfahan. The data collection method was conducted in in-depth interviews without structure in individual and group interviews among 20 adolescents who met the study's criteria and continued until data saturation. To analyze the data, content analysis provided by Graneheim and Lundman was used.
Results: After analyzing the data, 201 primary codes were determined and after summarizing, the codes were summarized in 3 main themes and 9 sub-themes. The main categories included individual factors (benefit, personal and psychological characteristics), interpersonal factors (Friendship-centered, family function), and social factors (school function, law enforcement, and regional culture).
Conclusions: The present study showed that although adverse consequences of smoking were known, stimuli such as media, emotionality, curiosity, and imitation lead to smoking in adolescents. Therefore, media literacy training and life skills such as thoughtful decision-making and emotional intelligence enhancement are useful. On the other hand, adolescents' shame and not smoking in religious places are other protective factors of smoking in adolescents