Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine whether there is a difference between smokers and nonsmokers in terms of learning motivation and mental health on the basis of 1,040 nursing student respondents. The investigation included questionnaires regarding smoking, the Gakugeidai Academic Motivation Inventory as a measure of learning motivation, and the Cornell Medical Index-Health Questionnaire (CMI) as a measure of mental health. The rate of smokers was 31.5 percent and that of nonsmokers 42.6 percent. The level of learning motivation among smokers was significantly lower than that for nonsmokers. Many smokers reported that they always smoke before, during, and after studying. They also reported that smoking enhances learning motivation and aids organizing their ideas. Neurotic tendencies were identified more frequently in smokers than in nonsmokers by the CMI questionnaire. Among smokers, no difference in learning motivation was identified between the normal and the neurotic groups. However, among nonsmokers, the level of learning motivation in the neurotic group was significantly lower than that for the normal group. The findings suggest the importance of teachers encouraging students to quit smoking and raising learning motivation in students who smoke.
