Survey of the effect happiness increase on prevention of the transition in smoking stages among high school students in Tabriz city

Abstract

Background and objectives: Cigarette smoking continues to be a major public health problem that specifically affects the adolescent population. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of happiness enhancement to prevent transition in cigarette smoking stages in high school students in Tabriz city. Method and material: This study was conducted in 1082 high school students in Tabriz city in 3 phases in 2017. Initially two districts from the 5 educational districts were selected by non random method then 11 high schools were selected by non random method and divided into two groups of intervention and control by simple random method. a questionnaire on demographic characteristics, smoking status and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire was completed by all 10th grade students in these schools. Then, in the intervention schools, the educational program to enhancing happiness were implemented and at the end of the training sessions, the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire was completed in both intervention and control groups. Finally, about 8 months later, the student completed the study questionnaire again to determine the transition in cigarette smoking stages and happiness score. Analysis of variance for repeated measures was used to determine the effect of program on enhancing of happiness and logistic regression model was used to assess the effect of program on transition in smoking stages. Results: The results of the study indicated that there was a negative relationship between happiness and transition in smoking stages, the higher happiness score the lower probability of being in advanced smoking stages. happiness score in intervention group increased over time. However, according to results of logistic regression model after adjustment on potential confounders such as gender and having smoker friends, there was no difference in transition in smoking stages between two groups (Odds Ratio=0.86, 95% confidence interval: 0.54-1.39, P= 0.547). Conclusion: The results of this study showed an increase in the happiness score in adolescents in the intervention group but in the over time this increase was not persistent and in the transitional variable, there was no effect on smoking stages.