Perceived Threat about Cigarette Smoking among Adolescents: Optimistic Bias

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Cigarette smoking is one of the important health problems in adolescents and one of the preventable causes of morbidity and mortality. The present study was carried out with the aim of determining the perceived threat about cigarette smoking among adolescents with emphasis on optimistic bias. Methods: The present study was carried out as a descriptive cross-sectional study on 2nd grade secondary school male students in Shiraz, Iran. A multi-step cluster sampling method was used in the present study. A questionnaire including questions about demographic characteristics, knowledge, and perceived threat, was used. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient and its validity by a panel of experts. The data were analyzed using descriptive tests and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: In the current study, the majority of students (3.3%) initiated cigarette smoking at the age of 13 years. Also, there was a significant relationship between perceived susceptibility and having smoker friends and offering cigarette by them. Also, the findings of this study showed that there was a negative correlation between perceived susceptibility and severity.   Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, in spite of high perceived severity, the perceived susceptibility was low among the students. Also, optimistic bias in adolescents causes that although they believe in high severity of high-risk behaviors, they do not feel themselves exposed to the risk of morbidity due to health problems.

Keywords

• smoking
• bias
• adolescents.