A School-Based Study of the Influence of Students’ Relationship with Teachers on Their Cigarette Smoking Behaviour in Jamaican

Document Type : Research Articles

Authors

1 Department of General Studies and Behavioural Sciences, University of the Commonwealth Caribbean, Kingston, Jamaica

2 Department of Community Health and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica

3 School of Nursing, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica

4 College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Cigarette is one of the most widely used addictive substances and a leading cause of death. Prevalence
of cigarette smoking has been reported to be high in the Caribbean, including Jamaica. The aim of this study was
to determine whether students’ relationship with teachers influences their cigarette smoking behaviour in Jamaica.
Methods: This was a statistical analysis of data based on a nationally representative sample of 3,365 secondary school
students drawn from 8th to 12th grade across 38 secondary schools in Jamaica in 2013. Descriptive and inferential
statistics were performed using SPSS. Results: There were significant differences in the past year and past month
cigarette smoking respectively among students who had very good, good, average, bad and very bad relationship
with their teachers (X2 = 11.67, p = 0.02; X2 = 9.61, p = 0.04) respectively. Students with very good relationship with
teachers, were significantly less likely to report smoking cigarette in the past month (AOR= 0.09, 95% CI= 0.01- 0.88).
Students who were 2 - 10 years, had very good relationship with teacher and father, and whose parents knew friends
very well, were 0.96, 0.69, 0.70 and 0.94 times as likely to report smoking cigarette in the past year. However, these
associations were not significant after controlling for other factors. Conclusion: Students’ relationship with their teachers
has a strong influence on cigarette smoking. Students with very good relationship with teachers were significantly less
likely to report smoking cigarette in the past month.

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Main Subjects

Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
Volume 19, S1
April 2018
Pages 7-12

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History

  • Receive Date: 06 January 2018
  • Revise Date: 15 April 2018
  • Accept Date: 05 April 2018

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