Abstract
Methods：
Survey period and subjects: Two hundred and twenty university students, who were freshmen in April 2007 and
belonged to an extracurricular activity organization, underwent participatory education for smoking prevention in January 2008(9 months after the entrance). Students who did and did not participate in the education
were designated as the participation and non-participation groups, respectively. These 2 groups were followed
until April 2010 (27 months after the intervention), and the smoking status was compared with that at
the time of entrance to university. The participation group underwent participatory education for smoking
prevention comprised of a lecture and group work, whereas a video recording of the participatory education
for smoking prevention was broadcasted throughout the school for the non-participation group.
Survey method: Based on the registered self-recording survey for smoking situations performed during the
regular annual health check-up, items representing the current smoking situations of the participation and
non-participation groups, i.e., smoking status, attitude, and tendency, were compared with respect to the
smoking situation at the time of university entrance. In the participation group, the registered selfrecording
survey for smoking situations was administered before and after the participatory education for
smoking prevention; separate from the regular health check-up survey.
Results: The follow up rate 36 months after the entrance was 99.5% in the participation group (219 students
aged 18.1±0.4 years) and 75.3% in the non-participation group (1053 students aged 18.3±1.2 years). The
male: female ratio was about 2:1 in each group. Among the students with no smoking experience at the time of
entrance, 9.4 and 17.0% were smoking at 27 months after the education in the participation and nonparticipation
groups, respectively, showing a significant difference. Thus, smoking was attenuated 27 months
after education in students with no smoking experience at the time of entrance; reducing the increase in
smoking in the participation group. However, no significant difference was noted in the smoking status after
27 months between the participation and non-participation groups, among those students who had already
smoked their first cigarette before entrance.
Conclusion: Although the education for smoking prevention was effective for students with no smoking experience,
it was suggested that, for those students who have already started smoking, reinforcement of the smoking
cessation support system and environmental improvements is necessary, rather than education for smoking
prevention. It was also suggested that education to prevent smoking of the first cigarette should be repeatedly
performed from infancy.
